Prime Video Axes 'Clean Slate' Starring Laverne Cox

Prime Video has made the decision to cancel Clean Slate starring Laverne Cox. A decision that is disappointing considering the representation the series offered to the LGBTQ+ community. 

Cancelling a show only after one season is always rough on the cast, crew and fans. Giving the show another season to wrap things up would have been nice. Unfortunately, these decisions are not left up to the fans. 

The show was co-created by Cox, Wallace, and Dan Ewen, with Norman Lear serving as an executive producer. In Clean Slate, Cox played Desiree, a trans woman returning to her Alabama hometown to reconnect with her estranged father, Harry (played by George Wallace). The series touched on family dynamics, self-discovery, and the challenges of navigating life as a transgender person in a conservative, Southern town. 

Cox released a statement via Deadline stating, “We’re not gonna sit here and pretend we’re the first show to get canceled. Hell, four shows were zapped while you read this. We humbly thank those at Sony and Amazon who worked on and on the behalf of Clean Slate. It is a privilege and a joy to make a living in the creative sphere, let alone while telling a story of import. You helped make it all possible.”

Prime has not released the reason behind the cancellation but low streaming numbers are most likely the culprit. Prime will have to take some of the blame here with poor marketing. Many people were unaware the show was even airing. 

Fan comments reveal that some viewers felt that Clean Slate occasionally relied too heavily on clichés and also failed to explore the degree of trans identity in a meaningful way. Clean Slate may have been canceled, but the conversation it sparked is far from over and we hope to see more representation that Clean Slate offered in future projects from Hollywood.