I have only seen three episodes so far (thank you MHz International Mystery channel, and also Comcast for carrying it!), but I can tell you right now that this show totally, absolutely, brilliantly, rocks.
Crime Scene Cleaner is one of the funniest things I have ever watched. EVER. Bjarne Mädel, who plays our "hero" is brilliant. The writing, even as translated into English, is hysterically funny. The show is simply jaw-dropping, mind-numbing, amazing. It is surreal, bizarre, somewhat existential and laugh-out-loud-at-your-TV funny.
It's about a man (Heiko 'Schotty' Schotte) whose job it is to clean up the horrid leftovers after a terrible crime has taken place -- for example the leavings of a murder or a suicide. His motto is "My work starts where others pass in horror," (which can be interpreted in several ways). During the course of his job he meets, let us say, some extremely strange people.... a sweet old lady obsessed with her sofa (who maybe isn't as sweet as she seems), a grumpy writer whose dead aunt didn't help his writer's block, and a charming, dedicated, prostitute.
Schotty is a decent bloke. A sort of Everyman. He's kind and honest. He turns on the TV to watch soccer at one crime scene (but feels bad when his boss catches him at it), and at another crime scene when offered a bribe, he turns it down. He's likable, kind of cute, and goodhearted.
I am told Crime Scene Cleaner is incredibly popular in Germany. I am not surprised. It is really fun to watch. The episodes are less than 30 minutes and they go by so fast, you're left wishing for more. (Incidentally, don't turn it off before the credits end).
There are a lot of in-jokes to be found here -- for example, Schotty's ringtone is the theme for Germany's (if not the planet's) longest running crime series ("Tatort"). Characters show up from other German crime shows and make fun of themselves.
The writers are not adverse to making political statements of the progressive kind. The shrewd adeptness of these proclamations just adds to the brilliance of the show.
Der Tatortreiniger is perfect. Simply perfect. Watch it if you can.
And MHz Worldview International Mystery -- thank you so much for all you do! Please show as many Crime Scene Cleaner episodes as possible!
