James Corden is currently the host of CBS's The Late Late Show. Before those duties came along, however, Corden co-wrote and starred in the UK television series The Wrong Mans (BBC/Hulu, 2013).
II.
Sam Pinkett (Mathew Baynton) is with hangover, walking to work, when a car careens out of control, and crashes on the road beside him. This is a wonderfully staged sequence, as the car seems to blow out of nowhere and becomes a wreck in spectacular fashion, just past Pinkett. After the authorities have gone, Pinkett finds a cell phone at the scene. A caller mistakes Pinkett for the actual owner of the phone. Things turn noir as the caller delivers a sinister message, about a kidnapped woman to be killed that very day, if a meeting isn't made at a specified time.
Pinkett's intention is to go to the police with the phone message he's received. Enter James Corden as the irrepressible Phil Bourne, who Pinkett tolerates as a friend at his job at the Berkshire County Council. Bourne soon extracts from Pinkett the full details of his morning adventures. A bit of a passive fellow, Pinkett is then persuaded by Bourne to save the imperilled lady on their own, becoming admired heroes in the process. Mayhem, twisty and amusing, unfolds.
III.
Wrong juggles action, thriller and noir to enliven a narrative that's essentially comic. And Baynton&Corden do have engaging chemistry as a comic team. Director Jim Field Smith gives a stylish look to the proceedings, maintaining a brisk pace. The Wrong Mans ends by hinting at a second series. Hints to consider following, based on a viewing of this quite entertaining first series.
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