In some disappointing news, FOX opted to cancel The Cleaning Lady after four seasons. It came after an intense cliffhanger ending, which set up for a great fifth and final season. So, why wouldn’t FOX offer it that final season?
FOX hasn’t officially given a reason for the cancellation. This usually means that it came down to a business decision, one of the most frustrating reasons going. When we look at where the series sat in the linear ratings, it makes even more sense why The Cleaning Lady was canceled.
The Cleaning Lady season 4 lost a large number of viewers
Sadly, the viewership dropped, according to TV Series Finale. Keep in mind that this is just the live linear ratings for the day the episode airs on FOX, and it doesn’t include the ratings from delayed viewings throughout the week before a new episode.
On average, The Cleaning Lady lost 11% of its demo average and 9% of its total audience average from the previous season. This would have been a drop that would have put the show at risk even if it was higher on the list of all scripted shows. The fact that it was down to 15th out of 16 shows made it clear to FOX that it wasn’t worth the cost of production.
Annoyingly, we have to remember that the broadcast networks are businesses, and that means they need to make a profit. The lower performing shows are usually at the most risk of being canceled.
The Cleaning Lady’s cancellation interrupts Thony’s best arc
At the end of season 4, Thony decided that she was sticking with the Sin Cara cartel, despite wanting out of this business from the beginning. She isn’t just wanting to work with others, though. Her aim is to take over the cartel, giving her the freedom and future that she has always dreamed of for her son.
This would have made an intriguing and explosive fifth and final season. After all, we know that being at the top of a cartel isn’t necessarily the safest place to be. It’s also not easy taking a cartel down, even from the inside, and there is always the risk that she would lose everything while trying to do it. This was the most interesting arc for Thony after the first season, and now FOX hasn’t even granted it a shortened final season.
The Cleaning Lady is available to stream on Hulu.
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