Clean Sweep: 'Gripping' Irish crime drama shoots to the top of Netflix's TV charts
The RTE series is inspired by true events and tells the story from the point of view of a killer who has spent decades hiding in plain sight
An Irish crime drama which aired on RTE last year has become an unexpected hit on Netflix.
Clean Sweep, which stars Monaghan actress Charlene McKenna as a killer who has spent 20 years hiding in plain sight as a home-maker, debuted on RTE in May of last year, taking over the coveted Sunday evening slot from the broadcaster's hugely popular crime series Kin.
Now the series has earned a new lease of life after being picked up Netflix, where it is currently the most-watched show on the streaming platform.
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The six-part family crime series is told from the point-of-view of a killer (McKenna) who has spent nearly twenty years hiding in plain sight, living a secret life as a wife, mother, and home-maker.
Inspired by a true story, the series is set in the west of Ireland and follows a Garda detective, played by The Fall actor Barry Ward, as he hunts hunts for a murderer, never suspecting that his wife is actually the guilty party.
Here's the official synopsis for the series: "Shelly Mohan's days are filled with cooking, cleaning, shopping and chauffeuring, shuttling three kids from schools to activities, volunteering on the PTA with fellow stay-at-home-parent Matt and somehow still managing to have a home-cooked meal on the table by the time her garda detective husband Jason arrives home every night.
"But her chaotic yet happy life is put in jeopardy when Shelly is confronted by an ex-lover who threatens to expose her murderous past."
Clean Sweep was added to Netflix's library earlier this month and has quickly became a hit with viewers, swiftly climbing to number 1 on the streamer's Top 10 Most-Watched shows list.
"Been watching Clean Sweep on Netflix, it’s so good and no idea how it’s gonna end. Off to shop for milk, to make it last a little longer," wrote one Netflix subscriber in a post on X.
"Clean Sweep: A well-scripted family-based crime drama on Netflix and iPlayer. The dialogue between the mother and children is particularly realistic, with excellent acting. 6 episodes," said another.
Upon the original release of Clean Sweep, one review shared on Rotten Tomatoes stated: "This series will sweep viewers out of their chairs with twists and thrills. Clean Sweep is filled with grit and mystery that will keep viewers on edge and not knowing who to believe or what's true."
Another said: "Dense and twisty murder mystery series with a far-reaching case. An intriguing fast-paced psychological drama and police procedural in which we root for the baddie."
Another fan praised the show’s unique take on crime drama, writing: “The premise was interesting – it’s not who did the crime – but why does she commit a crime… the series progressed to a completely unexpected and unpredictable and emotionally twisted ending.”
Speaking ahead of the show’s release, Charlene said her character Shelly was a ‘gift to play’.
"This was one of those parts that I got to explore all kinds of emotions - there’s Shelly’s past life, her current construction of a life and then there’s the balance or hiding in plain sight and being a killer," she said.
"I put everything into all my roles. I leave everything on the screen because I feel otherwise why bother? If you’re going to do it, do it right. Go big or go home. It took a lot out of me, but it was worth it."
Clean Sweep is streaming on Netflix.
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