Review: The Wrong Mans

It has been almost four years since we bid farewell to Gavin and Stacey, but two of the show’s most loveable faces have made a long-awaited return to the BBC.

Written by and starring Matthew Baynton and James Corden, The Wrong Mans is a comedy thriller about the accidental turn of fate which changes the life of Sam Pinkett (Baynton) – an unappreciated lowly council employee who is trying to get over a failed relationship with his ex-girlfriend-cum-boss. Corden plays the neglected but endearing mail-man Phil Bourne, who spends much of his time trying to make friends.

The chain of incredible events that cause Phil and Sam to become the ‘wrong mans’ begins when the latter answers an abandoned mobile phone after witnessing a car crash on his way to work. The nameless caller threatens that if Sam does not deliver the money by 6pm then “his” wife will be killed – chaos inevitably ensues.

As expected with the partnership of Corden and Baynton (who played the idiotic Deano in the third series of Gavin and Stacey), The Wrong Mans is guaranteed to produce laughter. The continuous comedy of Sam’s incredulous reactions to Phil’s foolhardy suggestions is a central plotline, although it must be noted that Corden carries much of the show’s amusement value.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are elements of Corden’s character that resemble the over-the-top and charismatic traits of the loveable Smithy. However, there is also a new level of naivety and loneliness involved here – we see Sam and Phil’s attachment germinate and grow from scratch, as opposed to the firmly established friendship that ‘Gavlar’ and Smithy share.

For fans of Gavin and Stacey whose interest may have been sparked, bear in mind that the pair’s newest venture is not a carbon copy. Although very funny in places, The Wrong Mans is far from being a light-hearted rom-com. Throughout, it mixes moments of tension, espionage and intrigue with absolute chaos bordering on the ridiculous.

The programme’s plot progresses rapidly. Indeed, as Phil and Sam attempt to solve their various problems, they find themselves being pulled deeper into a world of kidnappers, murderers and double agents – a barn dance on Barry Island this is not.

Although it may take an episode or two to really draw you in, this is a series that can quite easily become as entertaining and addictive as Corden’s previous efforts.