Good Morning Lovelies,

Upon watching the first episode of Cleaning Up, you find yourself intrigued by the way in which the six-part series is going. Most specifically how Sheridan Smith’s character, Sam, will get out of the troubles she faces. Debts, addiction and harassment at work are some of the truly horrible things such faces as a working-class woman.

Working in a finance centre at night, along with a team of other cleaners, Sam’s job is to make sure that everything is spotless before she leaves in the morning. However, those who work in the office fail to leave their spaces clean and soon Sam is caught up in a web of illegal trading, after overhearing a conversation one night. Deciding it could be all she needs to end her problems, Sam uses the information she discovers to help turn her money worries around.

Starting off as a convincing series, the show presents an idea that will get many worrying and thinking about the ease of what Sam does. Desks will have been cleaned up after the first three episodes. However, after raising the stocks to lead audiences into a clever finale, it presents a stock market crash. Smith who gives a fantastic performance, is let down by the sloppy fast-paced nature that the last episode takes.

With a grand build up to see what her character will do, you are faced with watching one problem be solved in a matter of seconds, followed by another and another. When thinking of the characters gambling addiction, this is all to insensitive to the audience, as it presents the idea that it can be fixed quick.

Nothing is given time to sink in, like moments help in the first few episodes. The story takes on its own form and becomes not a race against time but more a race to get the episode and series over with. Something that lets down the start of the show.

Jade Anouka is convincing as the worried best friend Jess and gives a fantastic performance alongside Sheridan, which will lead audiences into further series well. But with a lack of creativity for the final episode, it is left to be seen whether audiences will want to know more after all of Sam’s problems seem to be solved. It makes you wonder if the creators could take it any other way without it being too over the top.

If the creators manage to clean up the flow and pace of the series, Cleaning Up may just be able to save itself. However, as it stands, the show has summed everything it needs to in a stock market build up and crash. All of which earned it…