Fox may have said goodbye toThe Cleaning Ladyat least one season too early, but the fascinating drama’s perfect replacement is already on its way. Although it seemed likeThe Cleaning Ladyseason 4 finalewas building toward the unique premise’s logical conclusion point, Fox closed the door on a cliffhanger. Thankfully, it appears they’re now opening a window.
The network’s upcoming replacement sadly won’t act as a reunion forThe Cleaning Lady’s cast. However,what madeThe Cleaning Ladywork beyond the cast itself was its compelling genre mash-up of crime thriller and character study. In the wake ofThe Cleaning Lady’s cancelation, a new series promises to deliver a similarly enthralling formula with a 2025-2026 midseason launch.
The Cleaning Lady Was A Unique Format For Current Network Crime Dramas
It Was Far More Than A Paint-By-Numbers Procedural
Out ofall canceled network TV shows in 2025,The Cleaning Lady’s the only one on the list that can’t be neatly classified as a sitcom or procedural. Rather than follow a predetermined formula,The Cleaning Ladyblended its Vegas cartel storyline with the everyday dramas of a working-class immigrant family, allowing for a virtually endless array of storytelling opportunities.
Throughout its run,The Cleaning Ladycovered everything from an entrepreneurial mother working to save her house while her son becomes a TikTok dance sensation, to cartel power battles and surgical bomb removals.These seemingly disparate storylines not only occurred in the same show, but the same season, andThe Cleaning Ladyseason 5was set to become even bigger.
Between Fiona’s new ID racket and Thony’s plan to take over Sin Cara,The Cleaning Lady’s cast was set up to face any number of personal and professional challenges. Whatever ending might have resulted remains a Schrödinger mystery forever now, butFox’s upcomingMemory of a Killerhas a chance to matchThe Cleaning Lady’s limitless scope of potential conflicts.
Fox’s Memory Of A Killer Will Follow The Cleaning Lady’s Character Study Format
The Main Character’s Personal Life Is As Important As His Crimes
Fox’s latest crime drama,Memory of a Killerjust castThe Sopranos’ Michael Imperioliin a major supporting role. Starring Patrick Dempsey,the series follows a gun for hire named Angelo as he tries to keep his associates from learning he has early-onset Alzheimer’s. This won’t be Dempsey’s first time playing a killer, having recently appeared inDexter: Original Sin.
InMemory of a Killer’s closest facsimile toThe Cleaning Lady’s Fiona, Imperioli will play Angelo’s friend Dutch, a mob boss who runs a restaurant as his cover. It seems likely thatAngelo’s attempts to hide his condition will create problems in both his personal life and criminal career, allowing for a character-focused storytelling approach similar toThe Cleaning Lady.
Memory Of A Killer Loses One Core Aspect Of The Cleaning Lady (But Gains Another)
The New Series Shifts Focus From One Real-World Issue To Another
One of the best elements ofThe Cleaning Ladyis its unique cultural focus. The series doesn’t merely focus on undocumented immigrants trying to make it in America, butit particularly excels at capturing the various nuanced differences between its Filipino and Mexican characters, exploring how their cultures affect their approaches to everything from criminal enterprise to sundry family affairs.
Although it has the potential to rank among Patrick Dempsey andMichael Imperioli’s best acting rolesif well-executed,Memory of a Killer’s focus on Alzheimer’s limits the series’ relatability to a smaller population of people, yet one that crosses racial and cultural boundaries. This could be a pro or con, depending on what target demographics the series manages to attract.
Between Dempsey’sGrey’s Anatomyexperience and Imperioli’s recent role inThe White Lotusseason 2,Memory of a Killer’s cast is well-suited to portray the personal side of its characters’ struggles. It’ll take work to balance this with its criminal plotlines as well asThe Cleaning Lady, but it has a better shot than any other upcoming show at Fox.
The Cleaning Lady
Cast
The Cleaning Lady is a drama series centered on Thony De La Rosa, a Cambodian doctor who becomes an undocumented immigrant in the United States. Forced to work as a cleaning lady, she navigates complicated situations while using her medical expertise. The series explores themes of survival, resilience, and the lengths one goes to protect their family. Starring Elodie Yung, the show delves into the hidden struggles of those living on the margins of society.
