Benjamin Bratt’s William Banks will probably go to rehab once more, as The Hollywood Reporter revealed a week ago that cable network cancelled The Cleaner just weeks after giving the late Patrick Swayze’s The Beast the pink slip. The Cleaner marks the Law & Order alumni’s return to television after the short-lived NBC drama E-Ring (2005-06).
The series was A&E’s first drama in less than a decade, as it follows William Banks; a recovering addict turns extreme interventionist who leads a team of other recovering addicts to help their clients get sober from drugs, alcohol, or sex. He also struggles to be a good father to son Ben and daughter Lulu while dealing with the recent separation from wife Melissa. The first season was released on DVD this summer, and the show recently completed its second and now final season.
There has been no official word on the cancellation, which is such a bad move because The Cleaner should’ve been on the list with Burn Notice and Leverage as one of the best shows to watch over the summer.
Think of the series as The Equalizer meets The A-Team and Intervention: an avenging angel, a modern-day Robin Hood seeking redemption for his sins by helping those in need: people who have been where he has been one too many times. William Banks knows he’s an addict that he’s not perfect and will make mistakes, but keeps caring and keeps trying, because this isn’t a job for him; it’s his calling.
I will help you get clean – William Banks
