Clean Slate (TV series)
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| image_alt =
| caption =
| genre = {{Plainlist|
}}
| based_on =
| creator = {{Plainlist|
- Laverne Cox
- George Wallace
- Dan Ewen
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Laverne Cox
- George Wallace
- Jay Wilkison
- Norah Murphy
- D.K. Uzoukwu
- Telma Hopkins
- Phillip Garcia
}}
| showrunner = {{Plainlist|
- Simran Baidwan
- Dan Ewen
}}
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 8
| list_episodes =
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
- Laverne Cox
- George Wallace
- Dan Ewen
- Simran Baidwan
- Norman Lear
- Brent Miller
}}
| producer = Paul Hilepo
| location =
| runtime =
| company = {{Plainlist|
- Act III Productions
- Laverne Cox Productions
- Amazon MGM Studios
- Sony Pictures Television
}}
| network = Amazon Prime Video
| first_aired = {{Start date|2025|2|6}}
| last_aired =
}}
Clean Slate is an American sitcom co-created by and starring Laverne Cox and George Wallace. The show centers on a woman (Cox) reuniting with her father (Wallace), whom she has not seen since her gender transition. The series premiered on Prime Video on February 6, 2025 and received positive reception. In April 2025, the series was canceled after one season.{{Cite web|last3=Ewen|first3=Dan|last2=Wallace|first2=George|last1=Cox |first1=Laverne |date=April 18, 2025|title='Clean Slate' Canceled By Prime Video: Laverne Cox & Creators Talk Labor Of Love, Norman Lear & Lessons Learned|url=https://deadline.com/2025/04/lean-slate-canceled-laverne-cox-explains-1236371911/|access-date=April 18, 2025 |website=Deadline Hollywood|language=en-US}}
Synopsis
Cast
- Laverne Cox as Desiree Slate, a trans woman reuniting with her father, Harry, in her small Alabama hometown after 23 years away
- George Wallace as Harry Slate, a car wash owner and Desiree's father
- Jay Wilkison as Mack, one of Harry's employees
- Norah Murphy as Opal, Mack's daughter
- D.K. Uzoukwu as Louis, Desiree's childhood best friend and the church choir director
- Telma Hopkins as Ella, Louis' mother
- Phillip Garcia as Miguel, Harry's neighbor{{Cite web |last=Fienberg |first=Daniel |date=2025-02-05 |title='Clean Slate' Review: Laverne Cox and George Wallace Lead Amazon's Warm, Well-Meaning, Not Especially Funny Comedy |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/clean-slate-review-laverne-cox-george-wallace-norman-lear-amazon-1236126323/ |access-date=2025-02-05 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}
Episodes
{{Episode table|background=#F3A503 |overall=5 |season=5 |title=17 |director=15 |writer=25 |airdate=13 |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 1
|EpisodeNumber2 = 1
|Title = Desiree. And Whatnot.
|DirectedBy = Nisha Ganatra
|WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|order=t|s=Laverne Cox & George Wallace & Dan Ewen|t=Dan Ewen}}
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|2|6}}
|ShortSummary = After 23 years away living as an artist in New York City, Desiree returns home to Alabama to repair her estranged relationship with her old-school father, Harry. Together, they must process their new reality as father and daughter.
|LineColor = F3A503
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 2
|EpisodeNumber2 = 2
|Title = Spark Joy
|DirectedBy = Matthew A. Cherry
|WrittenBy = Dan Ewen
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|2|6}}
|ShortSummary = Desiree throws a yard sale to purge her childhood home of unnecessary clutter, with unintended consequences. Louis keeps Harry busy with a game-day feast. Desiree and Jay begin a friendship. Desiree makes Louis a Grindr account.
|LineColor = F3A503
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 3
|EpisodeNumber2 = 3
|Title = Opal's Day Off
|DirectedBy = Randall Keenan Winston
|WrittenBy = Shadi Petosky & Jasmine Pierce
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|2|6}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = F3A503
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 4
|EpisodeNumber2 = 4
|Title = Chrome Jesus
|DirectedBy = Keith Powell
|WrittenBy = Simran Baidwan & Shantira Jackson
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|2|6}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = F3A503
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 5
|EpisodeNumber2 = 5
|Title = Closer Than They Appear
|DirectedBy = Jett Garrison
|WrittenBy = Simran Baidwan & Dan Ewen
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|2|6}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = F3A503
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 6
|EpisodeNumber2 = 6
|Title = Pillars
|DirectedBy = Princess Monique Filmz
|WrittenBy = Brittany Miller & Shomari Kirkwood
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|2|6}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = F3A503
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 7
|EpisodeNumber2 = 7
|Title = Mess and Magic
|DirectedBy = Linda Mendoza
|WrittenBy = Amos Mac & Walter Kelly
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|2|6}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = F3A503
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 8
|EpisodeNumber2 = 8
|Title = Born Again... Again
|DirectedBy = Zackary Drucker
|WrittenBy = Simran Baidwan & Shantira Jackson
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|2|6}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = F3A503
}}
}}
Production
=Development=
The series was originally announced by Peacock in January 2020 with Laverne Cox and George Wallace starring in leading roles..{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=January 16, 2020 |title='MacGruber' Starring Will Forte, 'Clean Slate' Starring Laverne Cox, Series From Amy Poehler & Mindy Kaling On Peacock's Development Slate|url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/macgruber-will-forte-clean-slate-laverne-cox-series-amy-poehler-norman-lear-mindy-kaling-peacock-development-slate-1202832542/|access-date=February 5, 2025 |website=Deadline Hollywood|language=en-US}} Cox and Wallace are the creators and executive producers of the series with Dan Ewen. Ewen serves as a showrunner of the series with executive producer Simran Baidwan. Norman Lear executive produced via his Act III Productions, along with Brent Miller. It was one of the last series produced by Norman Lear prior to his death in 2023.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/clean-slate-canceled-amazon-1236372934/ |title='Clean Slate' Canceled after one season at Amazon |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=June 1, 2025 |website=Variety |access-date=June 1, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250418204220/https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/clean-slate-canceled-amazon-1236372934/ |archive-date=April 18, 2025}} Paul Hilepo is a producer of the series. Nisha Ganatra directed the series pilot.{{Cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=January 16, 2025 |title=Clean Slate' Trailer: Laverne Cox Goes Back Home In Late Norman Lear's Prime Video Comedy|url=https://deadline.com/2025/01/clean-slate-trailer-laverne-cox-norman-lear-prime-video-comedy-1236258490/|access-date=February 5, 2025 |website=Deadline Hollywood|language=en-US}}
In February 2021, the series moved to IMDB TV (now known as Amazon Freevee).{{Cite web |last=White|first=Peter |date=February 22, 2021 |title=Norman Lear Sets Two Projects At IMDb TV Including Laverne Cox & George Wallace Comedy 'Clean Slate'|url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/norman-lear-two-projects-imdb-tv-laverne-cox-george-wallace-comedy-clean-slate-1234698386/|access-date=February 5, 2025 |website=Deadline Hollywood|language=en-US}} In September 2022, Amazon Freevee gave the series order.{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=September 6, 2022|title=Laverne Cox & George Wallace Comedy 'Clean Slate' Produced By Norman Lear Gets Amazon Freevee Series Order|url=https://deadline.com/2022/09/laverne-cox-george-wallace-comedy-clean-slate-norman-lear-amazon-freevee-series-1235106956/|access-date=February 5, 2025 |website=Deadline Hollywood|language=en-US}} On December 2024, the series was announced to be moving from Amazon Freevee to Amazon Prime Video.{{Cite magazine |last=Boucher|first=Ashley |date=December 18, 2024 |title=Get a first look at Laverne Cox's new comedy series Clean Slate — and learn how it honors Norman Lear (exclusive)|url=https://ew.com/laverne-cox-comedy-series-clean-slate-exclusive-first-look-8758617|access-date=February 5, 2025 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly|language=en-US}}
= Casting =
In March 2023, it was announced that D.K. Uzoukwu, Telma Hopkins, Jay Wilkison and Norah Murphy joined the cast as series regulars alongside Cox and Wallace.{{Cite web |last=Cordero |first=Rosy |date=March 24, 2023 |title=Freevee's 'Clean Slate' Adds D.K. Uzoukwu, Telma Hopkins, Jay Wilkison & Norah Murphy As Series Regulars |url=https://deadline.com/2023/03/clean-slate-cast-d-k-uzoukwu-telma-hopkins-jay-wilkison-norah-murphy-freevee-1235309280/ |access-date=February 5, 2025 |website=Deadline Hollywood |language=en-US}}
=Filming=
The series was filmed largely in Georgia.
Release
The series premiered on February 6, 2025 on Prime Video. It was cancelled in April after one season. Though no explanation was given, some media outlets speculated that its cancellation might be related to the second presidency of Donald Trump.{{Cite news |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/clean-slate-trangender-prime-video-20286644.php |title='Clean Slate', the first sitcom to star a transgender actor, is canceled after one season |last=Johnson |first=G. Allen |date=April 21, 2025 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=June 1, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250505040720/https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/clean-slate-trangender-prime-video-20286644.php |archive-date=May 5, 2025}}
Reception
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|88|7.1|24|Like the sitcoms of yore, this new age Norman Lear production boasts an uplifting, heart-filled world in tune with the stylish workings of the one and only, Laverne Cox.|access-date=2025-02-26}}{{Cite web |title=Clean Slate: Season 1 {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/clean_slate/s01 |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}. In a positive review, Barry Levitt wrote in The Daily Beast, "Clean Slate wisely challenges common conceptions of the American South...This Alabama town is filled with people who love Jesus, of course, but they also love family and everything in between. Not everyone in town is eager to embrace Desiree, but the vast majority of locals welcome her like she’s their own daughter."{{cite web |date=2025-02-05 |last1=Levitt |first1=Barry |title=Norman Lear and Laverne Cox's New Sitcom: Surprise, Dad, I'm Trans! |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/norman-lear-and-laverne-coxs-new-sitcom-surprise-dad-im-trans/ |website=The Daily Beast |access-date=5 February 2025}} After noting the cultural relevance of a show about trans people "debuting at a moment when the current presidential administration is aggressively stripping trans people of their rights," Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone described the show as "content to be a simple, relatively old-fashioned family and friends comedy. But centering a sitcom like that around a trans character feels like an act of bold political protest, even if nobody meant it that way."{{Cite magazine |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |date=2025-02-05 |title='Clean Slate': A Trans Character Walks Into the Deep South... |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/clean-slate-trans-laverne-cox-1235250440/ |access-date=2025-02-05 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} Michele Theil wrote for PinkNews that Laverne Cox is Clean Slate
In a less positive review, Daniel Feinberg described the series in The Hollywood Reporter as "more of a fantasy of societal understanding than an issue-oriented comedy, very rarely producing laughs but very frequently generating reasonably earned warm-fuzzies."
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=tt10167012}}
{{Amazon Video original series}}
Category:2025 American television series debuts
Category:2025 American television series endings
Category:2020s American LGBTQ-related sitcoms
Category:Television shows set in Alabama
Category:Amazon Prime Video original programming
Category:African-American television
Category:Transgender-related television shows
Category:Television series about families