James Corden

The best finale this Christmas undoubtedly belonged to this ambitious mix of action, comedy and espionage. The Wrong Mans was an unexpected blast of brilliance in its first series, so it's unfortunate that James Corden's imminent U.S fame (as new host of The Late Late Show) has apparently curbed any longterm ambitions for this show. Instead, we now only get a two-hour Christmas special, which I like to consider an unofficial four-part second series. Far surpassing series 1 in terms of production values and confidence, this saw Sam Pinkett (Baynton) and Phil Bourne (Corden) in witness protection as factory workers in America, before another combination of bad luck and mistaken identity found them imprisoned with hardened criminals, working as bomb-makers for a gang of terrorists, and pursued across Europe as they doggedly attempted to get back home for Christmas. Not always as laugh-out-loud funny as you want it to be, The Wrong Mans is nevertheless hugely entertaining and takes such obvious delight in playing with genre conventions and clichés. It's a shame there won't be more, but to be honest it would be ridiculous if Sam and Phil kept finding themselves in vaguely similar predicaments again and again. Great to see the show end on a high.

The Wrong Mans review - it got everything right

The adventures of Matthew Baynton and James Corden's two hapless council workers was an incredible mix of action, gags and emotional depth, deserving of a standing ovation.

Radio Times review

How would any of us, the ordinary goofs of the world, cope with finding ourselves toe-to-toe with international gangsters and rogue spies? The Wrong Mans never fails to work good-hearted comedy from the scenes between macho lunks and our two council workers from Bracknell, forever way out of their depth and making it up as they go along.

In this episode there's a scene where they have to detail their experience in bomb-making to some glowering chaps in black. Phil (James Corden) improvises desperately about having once put Mentos in a bottle of Coke, which "really did go absolutely everywhere." Will this sort of endearing bluster get them home for Christmas?

The Wrong Mans preview

A slow start before James Corden and Mat Baynton get back to their best.

Next stop USA: James Corden is packing up for Hollywood

Having lost six stone and gained a gig presenting The Late Late Show in America, the writer, actor and comedian is heading stateside.

James Corden's Hollywood success could end show

Mathew Baynton has admitted The Wrong Mans could come to an end if James Corden's US career goes well.

The Wrong Mans: James Corden & Matthew Baynton shine

I'm just hoping that we get a satisfying conclusion tomorrow night that offers more laughs and thrills than tonight's story provided.

The Wrong Mans, review, series 2: a gleeful comedy romp

James Corden's action movie-comedy crossover is a combustible mix of hi-octane thrills and wry humour but it barely put a foot wrong.

The Wrong Mans, BBC2 review

Mathew Baynton and James Corden again prove themselves the right mans for the job.

Stop James Corden going to USA - he's just too good!

Millions of us would gladly dial, text or click online to make James Corden realise that he is one of Britain's best-loved comedy actors, and a peerless sitcom writer, who must stay here at the peak of his TV career instead of rushing off to a country that doesn't know him or want him, to waste his talents on a third-rate show, doing work that doesn't suit him.