https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/alert-missing-persons-unit-cleaning-lady-canceled-fox-1236258237/

Fox has canceled its drama series 'Alert: Missing Persons Unit' and 'The Cleaning Lady' shortly after they finished their seasons.

The Real Reason Fox Canceled The Cleaning Lady (https://www.looper.com/1905418/fox-the-cleaning-lady-cancellation-explained/)

Why The Cleaning Lady never managed to recover from Adan Canto's untimely death

https://www.looper.com/img/gallery/the-real-reason-fox-canceled-the-cleaning-lady/why-the-cleaning-lady-never-recovered-from-adan-cantos-death-1751896754.webp

Fans of "The Cleaning Lady" were shocked and saddened to learn of Adan Canto's death in January 2024. The actor, who established himself in Hollywood with the Fox drama series "The Following" and went on to appear in shows such as "Mixology," "The Curse of the Fuentes Women," and "Designated Survivor," died of appendiceal cancer. One of the main draws of "The Cleaning Lady" was the relationship between Thony and Canto's Arman Morales, a gangster who protects Thony and her ill son in exchange for her help during the first two seasons. She ends up becoming a runner for his crime family and gets more and more involved in their world as time goes on. She also falls in love with Arman, who starts to return her feelings. The chemistry between them was so palpable that "The Cleaning Lady" felt totally flat without it.

The third season of the show was being filmed at the time of Canto's passing and producers were forced to make sudden adjustments to the plotline in the wake of his loss. "The Cleaning Lady" paid tribute to Canto himself during the Season 3 premiere (https://www.looper.com/1533665/adan-canto-the-cleaning-lady-season-3-tribute-explained/) and dealt with the issue by having Arman be kidnapped. Morales later dies in an escape attempt in the sixth episode of Season 3. From then on, Arman would be little more than a memory in Thony's life. She considers an offer to work for Ramona Sanchez (Kate del Castillo), a relative of Arman's with a criminal empire of her own, and going through an American medical internship. Audiences found these twists to be too telenova-like and ratings soon declined, which ultimately led to the show's cancellation. Fans will forever wonder what could have been had Canto not passed away in such tragic circumstances.