Peacock has ordered a new unscripted original series, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, created by Emmy winners Scout Productions, the creators of Queer Eye, and Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions.
Based on the international bestseller by Margareta Magnusson, the Peacock Original is an hour-long transformation series featuring people who are at a major crossroads and need to get their houses and lives in order. A Swedish “Death Cleaner” will help organize and demystify homes, lives, and relationships, allowing us to prepare for death while we enjoy life.
“The combination of working with Amy Poehler and her team, along with the fantastic folks at Scout Productions, is something you dream about, and I am so glad this dream came true for us,” said Rod Aissa, EVP, Unscripted Content, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming. “In this series, viewers will be taken on an honest and emotional journey as they watch everyday people conquer their worst fears and discover who they really are on the inside. We hope our compassionate and dynamic series sparks conversation within each household and breaks the stigma around mortality and the tough reality of letting things go.”
“We are so excited to work on such a life-affirming project with the genius creators at Scout,” said Amy Poehler. “Swedish Death Cleaning reminds us to focus on what is truly important, and we couldn’t find a better team to take this journey with than Peacock and the incredible Scout Team.”
“Very rarely do you find a piece of IP this special. To be able to craft it into a format with humor and heart alongside a comedic genius like Amy Poehler is a genuine career highlight. What a full-circle moment to bring a splashy series to Peacock nearly twenty years after Queer Eye for the Straight Guy launched on Bravo. Queer Eye reshaped the way we look at life, and The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning will transform the way we look at death,” said David Collins, Co-Founder & Executive Producer, Scout Productions.
The Swedish Death Cleaner will turn each home upside down as they uncover and undo decades of collecting. With their distinctly Swedish sensibility, they liberate each person from the clutter in their lives, and allow them to pass on treasured mementos – and the deeply personal stories behind them – to their family, friends, or neighbors. Along the way, viewers will go on a journey with each individual as they recall who they once were, discover who they should be, and navigate how they want to be remembered.
The Peacock Original series is developed by Scout Productions and Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions. The series is also co-produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group. Paper Kite Productions’ Poehler and Kate Arend (Baking It) will serve as executive producers with Scout Productions’ David Collins, Michael Williams, Rob Eric, Renata Lombardo. Author Margareta Magnusson will also serve as executive producer alongside Jane Magnusson (Bergman: A Year in a Life), Stephen M. Morrison, Faye Stapleton (The Big Brunch), and Susanna Lea (All Those Things We Never Said). Poehler will also narrate each episode.
