The Wrong Mans (2013–2014) User Reviews (27)

Humour, Drama, shocks and cliff hangers!

[ryzah · 9/10 · 8 October 2013]

I use this site like a bible, usually agreeing with general reviews and ratings, yet I have never written a review on this site before.

The poor rating has prompted a first review, as this show is one of the best BBC sitcoms to find it's way onto television! James Corden's timing is second to none, the writing is extraordinarily clever and cliffhangers keep you guessing and watching each week.

Granted the show is not always laugh out loud, but the show isn't slapstick...It's clever and interesting.

The series is only 3 episodes in, but I for 1 am gripped and those posting terrible ratings after only 1 episode, because they haven't laughed due to there being no 'high school humour' need to get a grip!

9 star, and a genuine admiration to Corden and Co

The wrong mans is the right thing for you

[Balrogh77 · 8/10 · 30 October 2013]

An epitome of splendid British comedy! A fast-paced tastefully funny show with great dialogues and laced with some appropriately portioned action scenes. The plot is simple, two male employees of an obscure town council get involved in a criminal underworld, double agent-turned culprit, law enforcement chase only to find themselves deeper in the mess. The script is smart, carefully and very well written. When you'd think you know what comes next you are in for a surprise, as the story has its twists and turns. The acting is superb, the actors in the leading roles play characters that are likable and who are quite the opposite of today's boring all muscular and super smart super heroes. We are shown two ordinary guys with ordinary thinking and who eventually do manage to make a great job of living through all sorts of dangerous situations, and even the score with the bad guys. The wrong mans is thoroughly entertaining, and is one of the very best of its kind in recent years. Strongly recommended!

Best of British comedy!!!

[ejaysam · 9/10 · 9 October 2013]

This is a fine example of the great British humour of "Being in the wrong place at the wrong time!" I won't give out too much info on the plot here thus sparing you the enjoyment of this fine drama. I will however say that I have enjoyed this series immensely thus far (episode 3)!

Fine acting from James Corden & Mathew Baynton as a gullible dynamic duo with a good heart to do the right thing with every thing turning to crap essentially!

I can't wait to see how the story unfolds in the remaining episodes. It would be a shame if they (the BBC) were to end this after the first series! We definitely need more programs like this on our TV to look forward to after a long hard days work to come home and unwind with!

Highly recommended if you enjoy a good story line with plenty of laughs with clichés!

An unexpected gem

[tr91 · 8/10 · 18 November 2013]

The Wrong Mans is a TV series that I didn't hear anything about until I saw it advertised a week or so before it aired. It looked like a decent show and I liked James Corden in Gavin & Stacey so I decided to give it a go. As the weeks went on the series just got better and better and it turned out to be very good.

Sam (Matthew Baynton) and Phil (James Corden) are the case of a mistaken identity following a phone call that was not intended for them. They are thrown into some quite bizarre situations. They are always on the run for one thing or another and they are just two innocent guys. The action is quite fast paced and each episode ended on a cliff hanger and you just wanted to see what would happen next.

The action was all sorts such as car chases and being taken hostage. When one thing is sorted out, something worse happens. The drama is really good and you really feel for the main characters. The acting all round is impressive. Then there was also the humour side of things, each episode had its moments. It wasn't the funniest series I've ever seen but it had just enough to give the series a different side. Silly humour in a completely serious situation, like debating how Ginsters is pronounced while there is somebody chasing you who wants to kill you.

The way it ended made me think it was all over but since it has already been confirmed that there will be a 2nd series I am really looking forward to seeing what will happen next. Hopefully it won't go downhill from here because the 1st series was extremely impressive.

9/10.

Witty and Fun

[grayhorsedesigns · 10/10 · 12 November 2013]

My husband is rarely amused by comedies. It takes a lot to make him literally laugh out loud but this series did that within the first 15 minutes. Sure this "case of mistaken identity" plot has been used many times before but what plot hasn't? It is difficult to find a truly original idea these days when every old TV series from the last sixty years has been rehashed and redone on both TV and in movies. This series came off as quite fresh to me with lots of fun little surprises, twists and turns along the way. It's a bit of a comedic carnival ride and you never know where you're going to be taken next. I truly don't understand the last reviewers objections to this series because I think the acting, writing and directing are all excellent and I think this show is better than 90 percent of what's being shown on TV today. Everyone has a right to their opinion but I have to say that mine is the polar opposite of the last reviewer's. I'm also not going to give away any spoilers here because I want you to enjoy this program without any preconceived expectations. I will say that it is very entertaining and well worth thirty minutes of your time. Watch it and you will thank me later.

A pleasant surprise!

[kikkapi20 · 9/10 · 23 October 2014]

The Wrong Mans has a distinctly British sense of humor amid all of its action, with few laugh- out-loud jokes.

It's funny when Phil doesn't realize how to properly play a movie quote guessing game or when the office drones don't have the foresight to realize taking a hostage means having to dispose of his excrement in a plastic bag.

This show is excellent, what a good surprise: is like a packed action movie, full of action and comedy. There is no time for boredom and the actors are great performers. I ain't going to talk more about it: just WATCH IT.

Dark, very dark, but just hilarious

[amunro-368-74378 · 9/10 · 27 October 2013]

I'm not going to wax lyrical about production, or indeed the constant juxtaposition between characters, drama, and of course comedy. It really does speak for itself.

My only criticism is that I wish the episodes were longer. How they pull it off in the short format is an amazing testament to the authors skill.

I'd also add that I don't think I have ever seen anything quite like this. Its quite remarkable. Sure, I've seen comparisons, but this is pretty unique. Its also slick, dark comedy. Me, I found the first episode compelling, wanting more, but was left feeling slightly uncomfortable, wondering whether the writers could pull it off. Well, they did, in spades.

Shaun of the Dead style Brit action fun!

[cmajorseventh · 7/10 · 3 June 2019]

Just as it says in the title. Fast paced craziness with an action thriller theme.

Fresh, fast and fun, with a show-stopping turn from Mathew Baynton

[msbackstreet · 9/10 · 8 February 2014]

I loved this series. Engrossing and refreshingly different to anything else on TV at the moment, it has the perfect balance of action and comedy, accompanied by a pulsating soundtrack.

With a distinguished cast including Dougray Scott, Rebecca Front and Emilia Fox, it is nonetheless the two leads who drive the show.

James Corden is his usual entertaining self, playing the childlike, lovable oaf Phil with gusto, whilst Mathew Baynton - as thoughtful, sensitive Sam - is undoubtedly the star of the show, thoroughly deserving of his nomination as Radio Times "Breakthrough Actor" of 2013. Already known and beloved to millions as one of the principal performers in the smash-hit children's comedy series "Horrible Histories" (check out his turns as King Charles II and Charles Darwin as examples), this doe-eyed, uber-talented 'beautiful boy' (as aptly described in Wrong Mans by a smitten Russian gangster), Mr Baynton demonstrates his vast range with some terrific dramatic, and genuinely moving, scenes. This is a man whom we need to see more of on TV, especially as his career is surely about to go stratospheric.

The only thing I didn't like about The Wrong Mans was the curious title (a nod to Hitchcock?), but then I'm a stickler for grammar! It has become less of a bugbear for me, though, because of my fondness for the series - so much so that I have now bought the DVD and eagerly await Series Two... (happily for us viewers the BBC and Hulu have had the good sense to recommission it).

More Mat Baynton (and James Corden) soon please!

Good for a laugh!

[laurie_page · 12 January 2019]

Refreshingly funny and light hearted without the excessive use of crass humour for a cheap laugh. Good comedy duo in Corden and Bayton. Well worth the watch, even if the premise is silly.

British and American comedy fused?

[alexdelliott · 7/10 · 8 December 2013]

There are so many comedy dramas out there today, with the USA taking up most of the market which is not necessarily a bad thing as there are some pretty funny shows with high production values featuring (at it's best) some silly slapstick moments combined with laugh-out-loud one liners. Contrast this with British comedy, a more subdued experience with cheaper sets and intelligent witty humour which plays on your mind despite not necessarily giving you the most laughs. That's how I would compare to two.

What we have here is a show written by and starring James Corden and Matthew Baynton (I hope that's right) as two 'everymans' who, through coincidence, get caught up in a huge conspiracy involving murders, secret agents and gangsters. The basic plot has been seen before but this show does not attempt to reinvent any genres, instead it gives us a tightly written comedy full of self-awareness and hilarious situations. This, I believe, is what we get when we combine British and American comedy. There are so many escalating situations that these two find themselves in that never cease to surprise and I often found myself laughing out loud at specific moments (such as the briefcase in episode 2). Despite this, the show has some more subdued moments more akin to a British comedy drama and here the writing is sharp and the delivery spot on. These moments didn't make me laugh out loud but I enjoyed them and they made the moments of hilarity stand out even more and continuously surprise me.

I usually find it difficult to review a comedy as one can only gauge how good it is by how funny they found it. But this show is so easy to get into I'll just say give it a go, if you enjoy witty well-written comedy dramas with moments of side-splitting hilarity then you can't go too far wrong with The Wrong Mans

Delightful Show

[maddie-pinee · 10/10 · 28 November 2013]

The show written and acted out by James Corden and Mathew Baynton is ingeniously scripted. A thirty one years old letter deliverer and an office worker find themselves in the midst of the British intelligence, a gay Russian millionaire, numerous dark deaths, a Chinese (canto?) mafia, and double-agents upon picking up a cellphone.

Featuring a classic kidnapping with twists after twists, The Wrong Mans is filled with subtle and clever humor that will keep the audience grinning throughout each episode.

Strangely enough, the show reminds me of Shawn of the Dead, another one of my favorite British comedy thrillers. While the latter has more slapstick humor, the former is all about intentionally incorporating clichés into verbal and situation "funnies"

Basically, props to James and Mathew for their masterpiece. I'm hoping for a season II!

More like the Right Idiots

[pensman · 7/10 · 12 November 2013]

An amusing idea that has its moments. After a party, Sam (Mathew Bayton) goes for a walk and is almost run over by a car, but the car flips over and Sam calls the police as an ambulance is needed. As the police leave, Sam hears a phone ring and picks it up to hear if the money isn't delivered then we will kill your wife. Sam is conned by an associate at work, Phil (James Corden), into accepting the idea that they shouldn't tell the police but be heroes and save the wife. It would be a stretch if these two could safely help an old woman across the street. And there you have the premise of the show. Thus what might be a serious drama becomes a comedy as the two idiots bumble and bounce from one impossible situation to another. There are certainly some laughs along the way and the leads work well together so it's worth a watch. Currently on Hulu.

Puerile

[pauldcmt-1 · 1/10 · 1 October 2013]

This suffers from a no of issues: ludicrous plot; sloppy scripting; cartoon characterisations; weak punch lines; predictable developments; bad acting; adolescent humour.

I have seen higher calibre school drama productions. It has absolutely no redeeming qualities.

It makes Springtime for Hitler in The Producers look like Citizen Kane.

To what depths can British TV comedy sink? Let's hope this is the ocean floor.

Maybe they could find a use for it in Guantanamo Bay?

Frankly, a little disappointing.

Fantastic for 5 episodes out of 6

[recline69 · 8/10 · 19 January 2014]

From the very first frame of this clever Hitchcockian comedy/thriller you will be glued to the screen wondering how the two leads are going to escape the situations they find themselves in. Time after time, inventive, funny and dangerous escape plans are hatched and executed with a cleverness we haven't seen on TV for a long time.

There are so many moments in the series were it delves into the cliché and tired tropes of thrillers, yet takes them and twists them in clever and unexpected ways which makes it so much fun to watch.

Episodes three and five are stand outs and it's one of those series where you just want to watch the next episode immediately. The production values are great and the acting in general is good.

My only complaints are: 1. I'd like to have seen the love interest developed a little smoother and 2. The last episode does fall into those tired and cliché tropes of movies in general. It feels lazy in comparison to all the cleverness that has led up to the ending, but the journey as a whole is still extremely satisfying and ultimately a blast to watch. Totally recommended.

The wrong mobile

[Prismark10 · 8/10 · 7 November 2013]

James Corden and Mathew Baynton star and also co-wrote what can be best be described as a comedy action series.

They play in The Wrong Mans, Phil Bourne and Sam Pinkett. Office workers for Berkshire County Council although Corden is not a council employee he just works in the mail room.

Their lives are turned upside down when Sam (Baynton) answers a mobile phone left lying around after a car accident.

It might be case of mistaken identity but soon they are mixed up in a kidnapping, there are people out to kill them, corruption, nefarious spies. While all the time our hapless duo try to escape from increasingly bizarre situations against the odds.

It would be wrong to call this series a sitcom as this is far away from a sofa in a living room you can get.

Explosions, people being chased through country roads, dropping from the higher floors of car parks this is a topsy turvy show.

Baynton is perfect in the lead role an innocent goaded at work by office politics who just wants to do the right thing and has bitten off a bit too much.

Corden who is a fine dramatic thespian in my opinion can be overbearing when it comes to comedy, but tones his performance down enough as the more adrenaline fuelled one who is prone to taking risks.

The first series was successful enough and seemed to have tied up its plot lines nicely but a second series has been commissioned by the BBC.

Action packed and funny script.

[ropumar · 8/10 · 13 October 2013]

Watched the first 3 episodes and left me wanting more.

Is a series about 2 guys put in an outrageous situation after finding a phone. Full of funny moments and good action scenes. The comedy arrives from the situation they are put in and how naively and dumbfounded they manage these. The pace is extremely well done, no filler, just great script that rivals the best of action movies and also the funniest of comedy movies.

The production is great, specially for a British show. Acting is fair, but characters are charismatic enough to get you caring.

Worth watching. Is a top quality beginning of a show.

I give 8/10.

Surprisingly good comedy thriller

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 9 November 2013]

Sam Pinkett is an employee of Berkshire County Council working in a fairly low level position… however his life is changed when he witnesses a spectacular car crash and finds a ringing mobile phone by the roadside. He answers it and the man at the other end demands money or he will kill the phone's owner's kidnapped wife! Sam has no idea what he is letting himself in for when he, along with friend Phil Bourne, decide to help the woman as they find themselves up against Chinese gangsters, the Russian Mafia and a corrupt MI5 officer!

When I saw the trailers for this I thought I'd give it ago although to be honest I thought it would be a case of a poor show where they put the best stuff in the trailer… after all it isn't easy to make a good thriller that is also funny. Thankfully I was wrong; there are plenty of laughs to be had but more importantly the drama was gripping, I cared about the characters and as each episode finished I wanted to know what would happen next. Mat Baynton and James Corden were great in the lead roles and they were supported by a fine cast that included plenty of well-known actors such as Emelia Fox, Dawn French and Dougray Scott. The story is nicely paced with each episode setting things up nicely for the next; there is also a bit of a cliff-hanger ending although whether that is setting things up for a second series or just letting the viewer choose what they think will happen one can only guess.

The Wrong Mans

[jboothmillard · 6/10 · 31 July 2015]

The trailer for this show was appealing because it had the star and creator of Gavin & Stacey, I knew he was part of the driving force behind it, and it did look like it could be both funny and gripping. Basically Sam Pinkett (BAFTA nominated Mathew Baynton, also writing) and Phil Bourne (BAFTA nominated James Corden, also writing) are ordinary office workers for Berkshire, Bracknell County Council. Their undistinguished, menial lives are turned upside-down when Sam answers a mobile phone they find after a country road car accident, the message he listened to was clearly not meant for him: "If you are not here by 5 o'clock, we will kill your wife". With encouragement from mail-room delivery boy Phil that they can be heroes, this incident turns into a bad case of mistaken identity as the duo are plunged into a deadly kidnap plot. Later unexpected international conspiracy and intrigue becomes involved, and mysterious Scarlett (Dorian Gray's Emilia Fox) and Stevens (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' Nick Moran) and the enigmatic secret agent Walker (Dougray Scott) are at the heart of all the chaos. Sam and Phil must dodge bullets and escape explosions in their quest to save not just themselves, but the ones they love and ultimately their whole town, there is a point when the duo get separated across the world and forced to use different identities, but it all works in the end and Sam and Phil return to some kind of normality. Also starring Bad Education's Sarah Solemani as Lizzie Green, Dawn French as Linda Bourne, Star Stories' Tom Basden as Noel, Humans' Rebecca Front as Cox, The World Is Not Enough's David Calder as Mr. Reid, EastEnders' Ray Panthaki as Khalil, Cucumber's Vincent Franklin as Sergeant Ince, Homeland's David Harewood as Surgeon and Being Human's Jason Watkins as Anaesthesist. Both acting and writing Corden and Baynton have comic timing and make a great double act, it is fair to say this is not the most hilarious programme I have ever seen, but it makes you laugh in just about the right places, the episode with a body being dragged out the council office really made me laugh though, it was almost more dramatic most of the time and you got hooked by the chases and explosive sequences, also done in a comic way, all in all it is a fun enough and worthwhile black comedy drama series. It was nominated the BAFTA for Best Situation Comedy. Good!

genuinely funny, for once

[RaveyDaveyGravy · 8/10 · 2 October 2013]

Most television or movie comedies are not funny. Fact. You may disagree but how many comedies actually give you the physical reaction of laughter?

Don't misunderstand me, a comedy can be good without actually provoking a laugh. 'Friends', for example was quite good, but laugh out loud funny? Not very often. Like I said, most simply arnt funny, they should be called nicities, or quitegoodities.

Any televisual or movie media should aim for the high watermark of provoking a physical reaction. Horror should make you wince, cower, look away, think. Action should raise your heart rate and get you on your feet. Drama should make you cry or talking. And comedy. Comedy should make you laugh out loud.

The Wrong Mans is the first new comedy for ages that has made me do this. Its genuinely funny. It has characters who I like and care about in absurd situations. It has 2 stand out central performances and has obviously been written by 2 people who know what they are doing and have been given free range to go and do it.

I think it's brilliant. Not 'Father Ted' brilliant, but still brilliant.

A very impressive start

[Dableo · 8/10 · 2 October 2013]

The series pilot was actually pretty good. It was set within a very light weight British environment. I was really attracted obviously to the storyline which is about the two main characters mystery finding, also the camera use was very impressive and all the actors seemed fine for the time being. Also the way the story is being set in the pilot is very professional not too fast so that you would be like 'what just happened' neither too slow to be really boring. Plus it is a BBC production so expect a great set and loads of spending everywhere, definitely worth a try if you like mystery sitcoms. At least it was that good for me.

Very frustrating!

[darbiegay · 9 March 2020]

I cannot stand this show! They dont ever prove or sokve anything! The only info they ever have is the info thats already known and if they do manage to learn anything new its trivial and means nothing the show always ends the same. And the convicted person is still sitting in jail filing an appeal! A waste of my time i will not be watching anymore

Pitiful

[michaelstime · 1/10 · 26 January 2023]

James Corden playing the same role as he does in everything. I watched ad far as 4 episodes to make sure I was balanced in my review, yet it is just silly, awful tbh. We are so desperate for something funny, this is where we ended up. The storyline is silly, no sense to any of it. Poorly acted throughout, it seems bits were put together, no flow is what I mean. I tried to enjoy it, I really did, yet it just left me feeling embarrassed tbh. James Corden seems to do the very same thing in everything he does, it was funny, was funny. I think BBC comedy is facing a tough time of it. Anyway, thank you.

a series worth the wait

[sophievt33 · 10/10 · 9 March 2014]

I have been waiting for the wrong mans to come to Australia since my Aunty from England was telling me about it when she came down under. I was very impatient and not even sure whether it was going to air in Australia so I got the DVD box set and watched a total of about 3 hours of the Wrong Mans. The first thing I realised was that the actor for Sam was a guy off Horrible Histories and I was immediately hooked! There were so many cliff hangers and twists and turns that and funny moments that I had to pause the telly for a few minutes so I could catch up on a laugh. James Corden and Mathew Baynton are truly talented with there writing and acting abilities and would recommend this show to anyone. come on guys, it's only 3 hours out of your time and it would be well worth it...The Wrong Mans comes out in Australia Wednesday the 12 of March!!! I am definitely going to watch it again!

The Wrong Mans The Right Way!

[tj-bluez · 9/10 · 9 February 2015]

The Wrong Mans is a TV series is what you'd call a true diamond in the rough, I stumbled into on HULU and now I am hooked.

Sam (Matthew Baynton) and Phil (James Corden) are masterful and captivating in their amazing comedic and dramatic adaptation of what would your so...? It all starts with the most unsuspecting Sam and a cell phone, after that these two are thrown full tilt into the most impossible and bizarre situations that your could think up. The action and anticipation is well placed and will have you on the edge of your seat, you will not be disappointed.

The only issue I have is that I wish the episodes were longer, even though they episode delivered enough to keep us hooked…we want more!