# The Wrong Mans (2013)

> Two well-meaning idiots stumble into a hideous world of crime, conspiracy and corruption.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/53782

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 8
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, thriller, crime
- Created by: Mathew Baynton, James Corden
- Network: BBC Two, Hulu
- Cast: Mathew Baynton, James Corden, Steven Elder, Vincent Franklin, Paul Higgins, Jordan Long, Paul Cawley, Chandeep Uppal
- TMDB rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2603596/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: farcical, breezy, irreverent, tense, absurd

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively as a fast, farcical comedy thriller carried by its two leads' chemistry.

## Synopsis

The Wrong Mans (2013-2014) is a British comedy thriller series created by Mathew Baynton and James Corden for BBC Two, later distributed on Hulu. Mathew Baynton plays Sam Pinkett and James Corden plays Phil Bourne, two well-meaning but hopelessly out-of-their-depth office men who become entangled in a hostage situation and a widening web of crime, conspiracy and corruption. The engine is simple and farcical: the pair keep trying to extricate themselves from a mistaken identity mess, and every attempt to fix things drags them deeper. Each episode of this short run is built around escalating misunderstandings, sharp verbal banter and clumsy improvised schemes that collide with menacing criminals and corrupt police. Officers such as D.S. Brick, played by Rufus Jones, add pressure from the law side. The series spans two seasons and eight half-hour episodes, a compact serialized story rather than a case-of-the-week format. Its tone blends breezy slapstick with genuine peril, and the atmosphere stays brisk and irreverent. Fans of Spaced, Hot Fuzz and Fargo will find a similar mix of everyday absurdity and dark criminal danger.

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