the wrong mans

I enjoyed the first episode of the spoof crime series "The Wrong Mans". Aside from its plot, which involves a Berkshire County Council employee stumbling into a ransom situation after a car crash, there's the frequent references to other movies.

It's been written by James Corden and his buddy Matthew Baynton and has funding from Hulu, who will show it on US streaming television too. I suppose it is fairly unusual for a series like this to make it across the pond without being redeveloped into an American setting.

They are only 30 minute shows but use a good shorthand to pack plenty into the episode. I almost felt like immediately watching it again, but the disappointing London Irish intervened.

The most obvious movie reference would be to Hitchcock's "The Wrong Man", although there's little pieces of snow laden Fargo, an overt reference to Fight Club, a superior version of snide UK office politics, a hybrid E.R. meets Casualty and enough swerves to keep anyone on their toes. Some of the scenes may incorporate cliches, but they are mighty fine cliches and with good twists.

I'm usually wary of "next week's show" trailers giving away too much, but on this occasion it's clear that there's plenty more fun and games as the series unpacks.