Peacock Orders Series About Swedish Death Cleaning

Peacock has greenlit the new unscripted series The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, inspired by Margareta Magnusson’s international bestseller of the same name.

Developed by Scout Productions (Queer Eye) and Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions, the series follows a Swedish “Death Cleaner” who helps organize and demystify homes, lives and relationships, allowing people to prepare for death while still enjoying life.

Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group, also co-produces the series. Executive producers are Paper Kite Productions’ Poehler and Kate Arend (Baking It); Scout Productions’ David Collins, Michael Williams, Rob Eric and Renata Lombardo; author Margareta Magnusson; 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.

“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, executive VP of unscripted content at 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,” Poehler said. “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.”

Collins, co-founder of Scout Productions, added, “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 20 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.”