Not everyone is keen on American remakes of British TV shows, but that doesn’t stop them being made. Variety is reporting that the latest to get the U.S. treatment is The Wrong Mans, and no — that’s not a typo.
The wrong “mans” does indeed refer to two people: The Late Late Show‘s James Corden and Horrible Histories‘ Mathew Baynton, to be exact.
They play two ordinary office workers who mistakenly get embroiled in a deadly serious web of crime, conspiracy and corruption when one of them answers a ringing phone.
“If you are not here by 5 o’clock,” says the voice on the other end of the line, “we will kill your wife.” Watch the trailer for the first season:
Neither of them had a wife, but that didn’t matter: what followed was 10 episodes of action-comedy based on this hilarious mistaken identity. The show was a ratings success when it aired in the U.K. and on Hulu in the U.S. in 2013, but a third season seemed unlikely when James upped and moved to the States.
According to Variety the show now will be revived, but with a different cast led by Parks and Recreation‘s Ben Schwartz. We’re guessing he’ll play Mathew’s part of a nerdy but well-meaning office worker. Who’ll play James’s character is yet to be announced.
So far it’s just a pilot for Showtime, with James and Mathew on writing duties, along with The Simpsons writer Ian Maxtone-Graham, and original director Jim Field Smith behind the helm.
Can you imagine The Wrong Mans set in the U.S.?
