Crime doesn’t pay. We all know that. But it certainly provides gainful employment for crime scene cleaner Paul “Wicky” Wickstead, who has the not-for-the-squeamish task of scrubbing up after unfortunate events, with the responsibility for getting rid of any sign that anything untoward happened there. The incredible thing is that all the blood-mopping isn’t even the oddest part of his job.

Yep, for Wicky (Greg Davies), it’s the absolute weirdos he meets in his line of work that make it a little bit special. Like Terence Redford (David Mitchell), a novelist who is much more interested in the contents of his sandwich than in the fiery death that just happened. Or eccentrically murderous widow Sheila (Helena Bonham Carter). Or Hosea (Layon Williams), an influencer obsessed with 80s culture who somehow hasn’t seen Back To The Future. Or tech-shop conspiracy theorist Kai (Asim Chaudhry).

You’ll have spotted that this parade of “characters” also means a series of top-notch guest stars. And happily series 3 of The Cleaner, starting on Friday 4 October at 9.30pm on BBC One HD (CH 101), will be adding to this famous roll call of British TV’s great and good.

Guest stars in the third series will include, deep breath, Steve Pemberton (Inside No.9), Sharon Rooney (Nightsleeper), Ben Willbond (Ghosts), Conleth Hill (Game Of Thrones), Gemma Whelan (The Tower), Harry Peacock (Toast Of London), Philippa Dunne (Motherland), Rebekah Staton (Home), Rosie Cavaliero (The Power Of Parker), Vicki Pepperdine (Getting On) and more.

That said, we know the main reason we tune in to The Cleaner: it’s Greg Davies. From stand-up to Taskmaster, from The Inbetweeners to Man Down and Cuckoo, we love his irascible, exasperated persona, with just that hint of self-doubting vulnerability hiding underneath. (OK, maybe Mr Gilbert in The Inbetweeners wasn’t hiding any vulnerability.) And who better to harness that comic potential than Davies himself, who scripts The Cleaner – although for this series he’s worked with others including Man Down collaborators Barry Castagnola and Mike Wozniak.

And once you’ve enjoyed The Cleaner, why not dive into the superb array of comedy box sets available on BBC iPlayer? Here are some of the highlights.

1. Alma’s Not Normal

Stream series 2 in Apps > BBC iPlayer from Monday 7 October. Series 1 available now

Sophie Willan brought a delightful sense of chaos to Taskmaster series 17 and if you enjoyed that, we’d recommend her sitcom Alma’s Not Normal. Loosely based on her own experiences, it’s all about Alma (Willan herself) and her attempts to live the fabulous life she dreams of, in the face of challenges including her extremely unusual family history – to uproarious effect. Series 1 aired back in 2021 and, better late than never, series 2 arrives this month.

2. This Country

Stream series 1-3 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

You don’t get many TV shows set in rural Gloucestershire, which is perhaps one of the reasons why This Country – created by Daisy May Cooper with her brother Charlie – shone so brightly. It follows the Mucklowe cousins Kerry (Daisy May) and Lee, aka Kurtan (Charlie), as they deal – often ineptly – with the boredom and social claustrophobia of life in a sleepy Cotswolds village.

The Coopers’ performances are deeply silly yet utterly believable, the writing is note-perfect (see Kerry describing her purchase of an alpaca as “physically my largest mistake”), and the tone is often genuinely poignant; this is a show that never punches down at its characters. Prepare to shed actual tears when saying goodbye to Kerry and Kurtan at the end of series 3.

3. Ghosts

Stream series 1-5 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Ghosts is the story of Alison (Charlotte Ritchie, Feel Good) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Stath Lets Flats), a young married couple who inherit a sprawling old house that just happens to be haunted. Co-created by Mathew Baynton, Jim Howick and other cast members from Horrible Histories, it began in April 2019 and became something of a sleeper hit, praised equally for its smarts, sweetness and silliness.

Then it became massive, earning five series plus Christmas specials at the heart of the BBC festive line-ups. Its final episode last year broke hearts in households up and down the country. Now you can watch it again and again and pretend it never finished.

4. Colin From Accounts

Stream series 1-2 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

They came together by squabbling over a vet’s bill and somehow, it all worked out. Real-life spouses Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall created, wrote and starred in this brilliantly witty, often awkward Australian comedy about a mismatched couple who are getting everything wrong but staying strong – and the new second series ups both the cringe factor and the emotional beats. Fans may also enjoy No Activity, a police stakeout comedy featuring Brammall and Dyer, which is available in Apps > BBC iPlayer.

5. Dreaming Whilst Black

Stream series 1 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Adjani Salmon’s comedy following a talented but naïve British Jamaican filmmaker was so good right out of the gate, it earned him a BAFTA award for the pilot alone. As good as that achievement was, it set the bar very high for the full series. The fact it’s on a list next to some of the best comedies the BBC have ever produced will tell you everything you need to know about how effortlessly Salmon hurdled that bar.

In a narrative loosely inspired by real-life events, as Kwabena (Salmon) gets closer to his dream, he’s confronted with the tribulations of balancing finances, love, and his own sense of reality. Series 2 has already been filmed and we can’t wait.

6. Daddy Issues

Stream series 1 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Hairdresser Gemma (Aimee Lou Wood, Sex Education) has got problems. Her sister’s in prison, she’s unexpectedly pregnant, and to top it all off, her flatmate’s moved out. So when her dad Malcolm (David Morrissey, Sherwood) reappears in her life looking for somewhere to live, the perfect solution presents itself. Or does it? A very funny and touching generation-gap comedy from stand-up turned writer Danielle Ward.

7. We Might Regret This

Stream series 1 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Canadian artist Freya (Kyla Harris) decides it’s time to take the plunge and move across the Atlantic to live with her long-distance boyfriend Abe (Darren Boyd). Only thing is, she’s tetraplegic and needs care. Could her best friend Jo (Elena Saurel) provide a solution? Their relationship has already been through some rocky patches, and that was before Freya asked Jo to deal with her constipation issues… This disarmingly frank and occasionally unhinged comedy was created by Harris and her own best friend Lee Getty, based on their real-life experiences.

8. Ladhood

Stream series 1-3 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

In one of the best and most honest British TV comedies of the past five years, writer and star Liam Williams looks back (as a character also called Liam) on his adolescence. Literally. Because the show’s clever conceit means that adult Liam can walk through and narrate his memories as they come to life in front of his eyes.

Throughout the series, Liam explores how his experiences (and mistakes) as a boy have subsequently formed the man. It’s show bound by the universe to be compared to The Inbetweeners, but it’s a much more thoughtful, realistic look at that time in our lives.

9. Inside No.9

Stream series 1-9 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

The brilliant dark comedic anthology series from Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton ended in 2024 with its ninth series (of course), and it’s given us a feast of brilliantly macabre delights. It is endlessly creative without any limits to the style or substance of an episode; from downright terrifying horror (“The Harrowing”) to comedy caper (“Wuthering Heist”) to family drama (“Last Night Of The Proms”).

There tend to be only two rules: the action needs to take place inside something that has a number nine on it, and there needs to be a twist. The show’s live Halloween special is probably the scariest thing on TV since Ghostwatch – while remaining spookily funny.

10. Here We Go

Stream series 1-2 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

“Broad” is often a dirty word when it comes to TV comedy, but Here We Go is a broad TV comedy in the best sense of the word. Set up as a documentary of family life “filmed” by the youngest son, it’s the freshest and funniest take on the well-worn mockumentary format in years. The series stars big hitters in Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd), Jim Howick (Ghosts) and Alison Steadman (Gavin & Stacey) and cements all three as some of this country’s finest comic talent.

Keep an eye out for Freya Parks’ direct looks to camera – they’re probably the most devastating since Martin Freeman’s in The Office. We also don’t know how anyone will get through the Play Your Cards Right scene in series 2 without physically hurting themselves from laughing. Trust us.

11. People Just Do Nothing

Stream series 1-5 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Like all-time great The Office (also on BBC iPlayer), this is a BAFTA-winning mockumentary that revolves around confident men who are utterly delusional about their charm and abilities. Rather than a paper company, it’s set inside Kurupt FM, a pirate radio station pumping out UK garage and drum and bass from a flat in Brentford, west London.

MC Grindah (Allan Mustafa), DJ Beats (Hugo Chegwin), DJ Steves (Steve Stamp) and their manager Chabuddy G (Asim Chaudhry) are convinced that global musical success is within their reach; the show’s hilarious pathos comes from the fact that it is almost certainly not, but you root for them anyway. A modern classic.

12. Juice

Stream series 1 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Earning show creator Mawaan Rizwan (Taskmaster) a BAFTA for Male Performance In A Comedy Programme, Juice is probably one of the weirdest TV shows you’ll see this year. But don’t get us wrong, we mean that as a big compliment. The Guardian called it “a cartoon come to life” and that’s the perfect description, putting in the great tradition of shows like The Mighty Boosh.

It’s a surreal comedy that follows Jamma (Rizwan) on his quest for attention as he navigates chaotic family dynamics and literally stumbles through love. Russell Tovey (Him & Her) also stars as Jamma’s therapist boyfriend, Guy.

13. Two Doors Down

Stream series 1-7 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Have you watched this wonderful comedy about a suburban Glasgow street and the couples who live on it? If not, why not? Because it’s possibly the finest Scottish sitcom since Rab C Nesbitt (there’s even some connective tissue between the two, with Elaine C Smith appearing in both).

Eric (Alex Norton) and Beth (Arabella Weir) dream of a quiet life, but cannot escape the neighbours who continue to drop into their house unannounced and uninvited. The show takes the idea that you can never choose your neighbours to the extreme: Doon Mackichan’s Cathy is one of the great sitcom beasts, while Smith’s life-force-draining Christine is equally iconic.

14. The Trip

Stream series 1-2 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Following two absurdly theatrical, emotionally brittle middle-aged men around northern England’s fine dining establishments might not sound like your idea of a good time. But in the hands of Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon – playing fictionalised versions of themselves – and director Michael Winterbottom, this is an all-time classic that reveals plenty about acting, ageing, insecurity and masculinity. The second series set in Italy has more of the same, but with sunshine. Simply essential.

15. Black Ops

Stream series 1 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Famalam’s Gbemisola Ikumelo and Akemnji Ndifornyen collaborated again to create Black Ops, which takes no prisoners in its mission to skewer police and criminals alike. Dom (Ikumelo) and Kay (Hammed Animashaun) are community support officers going nowhere in their careers until they’re tasked with infiltrating a local gang. It turns out they’re even more rubbish at being delinquents than they are at policing… 

The guest star list is a virtual who’s who of British comic actors including Felicity Montagu (I’m Alan Partridge), Joanna Scanlan (The Thick Of It), Rufus Jones (W1A) and Emma Sidi (Starstruck), and a second series is coming.

16. Avoidance

Stream series 1-2 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

A CABM – that’s what Jonathan (Romesh Ranganathan, Romantic Getaway) is. A conflict-avoidant beta male. He’d rather bury his head in the sand than face up to anything serious, and that’s ultimately why his partner Claire (Jessica Knappett, Drifters) throws him out. But if series 1 is about a sad-sack getting dumped, things are looking up for Jonathan by the time series 2 rolls around, with a potential new love on the scene. 

17. Boarders

Stream series 1 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Five gifted young Black students arrive at a posh English boarding school thanks to an outreach programme. Everyone is keen to make it work – the school for the PR, the students for the opportunities – and yet, somehow, everyone manages to rub each other the wrong way constantly… Boarders offers a clever 2020s twist on the classic fish-out-of-water comedy and says plenty about attitudes in modern Britain, while also landing lots and lots of great jokes. Daniel Lawrence Taylor (Timewasters) is the creator and star.

18. Detectorists

Stream series 1-3 and the special in Apps > BBC iPlayer

A gorgeous sitcom that makes you think that this crazy world of ours might actually be OK (deep down, obviously). Created, written and directed by Mackenzie Crook (who also stars, because he wasn’t busy enough with all the other jobs – he probably does the catering, too!), it’s a comedy about two metal-detecting hobbyists who dream of finding gold.

Co-starring Toby Jones, it’s a series that wears its heart on its sleeve without an ounce of cynicism: something that’s rare in comedy, and even rarer in a show that puts a pastime that is – let’s be honest – quite silly at its centre. The series wrapped in 2017, but returned in 2022 for a one-off Christmas special, which was naturally a delight. There’s no bad time to catch up or reacquaint yourself with the Danebury Metal Detecting Club.

19. Spent

Stream series 1 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Don’t think a model having a career crisis sounds relatable? Meet Mia (Michelle de Swarte). She can’t accept that her modelling days are over at the age of 38, to the point that she is unable to stop spending money. Bankruptcy inevitably ensues, and Mia is forced to leave New York and return to her life in London, where her self-image as a glamorous hotshot hits every bump on the way back down to Earth. Can she maintain her lifestyle in the face of indifference? De Swarte, who also wrote the script, gives a star-making performance in this perceptive and heartfelt series.

20. Mammoth

Stream series 1 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

A PE teacher frozen in the 1970s? Miraculously thawed out and revived? And unleashed on a modern school? The premise sounds like a fever dream but it’s the perfect set-up for Mike Bubbins’ brand of traditional, boisterous but non-toxic hyper-masculinity. As Tony Mammoth, he’s forced to confront the realities of the 21st century – from picking up dog poo from staying sober when driving – but he can still bring the lessons of the past to bear on 2024. There are only three episodes so far, but Mammoth will be back for more.

When is The Cleaner series 3 on TV?

The Cleaner series 3 starts on Friday 4 October at 9.30pm on BBC One HD (CH 101) – with all episodes available from 6am in Apps > BBC iPlayer on the same day.