The result is a story that starts with a single, disastrous decision. (Baynton), a hungover council worker, witnesses a car crash and answers a ringing phone left at the scene. The voice on the other end says: "If you are not here by 5:00, we will kill your wife" . Enter Phil Bourne (Corden), an overeager mailroom guy who convinces Sam they should be the "heroes of the hour" instead of calling the police. Why It Worked
The Wrong Mans remains a masterclass in how to balance belly laughs with genuine tension. If you haven't seen it, it's the perfect weekend binge for anyone who loves a good spy story—even if the spies in question are just council workers from Berkshire. The Wrong Mans(2013)
If you haven’t seen the 2013 British gem , you’re missing out on one of the most successful genre-bending experiments in modern TV. Co-created by and starring James Corden and Mathew Baynton , this high-octane comedy-thriller turned the "everyman in peril" trope on its head and became BBC Two’s most successful comedy debut since Extras . The Pitch: 24 Meets the Mailroom The result is a story that starts with
: The creators were committed to the action; one behind-the-scenes feature shows Corden and Baynton actually jumping out of a plane for a sequence in Series 2. Where Are They Now? Enter Phil Bourne (Corden), an overeager mailroom guy
The show was born from a conversation between Corden and Baynton on the set of Gavin & Stacey . They noticed a gap in the market: why weren't there half-hour comedies with the high-stakes plotting of US "box set" dramas like 24 or Lost ?
What Happens When You Answer the Wrong Phone? A Look Back at The Wrong Mans (2013)