The Wrong Mans: An Explosion of Comedy

If you're sick of looking for ways to watch BBC shows in the United States, you'll be delighted to hear that BBC Two's The Wrong Mans was co-produced with Hulu. Therefore, US viewers have ready access to this gem of a show that was created by Gavin & Stacey alums, James Corden and Mathew Baynton.

The Wrong Mans starts off with a very Hitchcockian premise (ergo the show's title). Sam Pinkett (Baynton) works for the Berkshire City Council and is a very ordinary (i.e. boring) chap. One morning, on his way to work, he witnesses a car crash. After the driver has been taken to the hospital and the police leave, Sam hears a phone ring and discovers a mobile at the side of the road. Assuming it's the driver's phone, he answers it, only to receive a threatening message from a man who says, "If you aren't here by five o'clock, we'll kill your wife."

Naturally, Sam is terrified and has no idea what to do. He heads to work, goes into the restroom, and listens to the threatening voicemails that have accumulated on the phone. When he gets out of his cubicle, he discovers that Phil Bourne (James Corden), the office "mail distribution assistant," overheard all the messages and is desperate to know what's going on. After Sam tells him the whole story, Phil convinces him that they need to be the heroes and do whatever it takes to save this woman's life.

What follows is a brilliant series of six episodes, each of which raises the stakes higher and thrusts the naive protagonists into a bewildering array of conspiracies that go all the way into the upper echelons of the British government. The show is remarkably funny but it also features impeccable production values, action sequences, and stunts that ensure you spend as much time on the edge of your seat as you do laughing. People are violently killed, Sam and Phil are constantly on the run from shadowy assailants, and the plot is an intricately-scripted, nail-biting thrill ride.

Baynton and Corden complement each other perfectly as two unlikely men who are trying to save lives, attack gangsters, and avoid getting shot. Every episode ends with a fantastic cliffhanger that will make you instantly click on to the next episode. Therefore, it is brilliant to watch The Wrong Mans on Hulu Plus, since you can binge watch the series in three hours flat. Let's hope the BBC and Hulu keep up this partnership for many years to come.