The Goes Wrong Show

The Goes Wrong Show is a British comedy series created by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, and produced by Mischief Screen and Big Talk Productions, in association with Lionsgate UK, for the BBC. The programme stars the ensemble members of the Mischief Theatre company, who reprise their roles as the members of the fictitious theatre company, "Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society", as they conduct a "live" televised stage play, which tends to go wrong due to mistakes, accidents and other issues that hamper the company's efforts. The concept was devised by Lewis, Sayer and Shields following two television Christmas specials for the BBC, with the series premiering on BBC One on 23 December 2019. In 2020, the group conducted a second series, but under strict guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, which aired on 27 September 2021. Premise The plot for each episode of the programme focuses on the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society having the opportunity to conduct a play on live television before a live studio audience. As with the stage performances conducted by Mischief Theatre as the fictional theatre company, all productions and events done by the Cornley group tend to go wrong due to issues with props and stage pieces, mistakes with lines, and problematic accidents; in some cases, the play goes wrong right from the start due to a mistake setting it up. Cast Henry Shields as Chris Bean - the company's pedantic, long-suffering director, who struggles to keep the play running smoothly. Henry Lewis as Robert Grove - an actor who believes acting is all about presence and volume. He constantly feuds with Chris over the lead role of performances. Jonathan Sayer as Dennis Tyde - an actor entrusted with small roles, including animals and inanimate objects, due to his inability to remember lines and his misinterpretation of stage directions and instructions. Dave Hearn as Max Bennett - an actor whose “aunt runs the BBC”. He is not a very good actor, and tends to be a ham when making an entrance or performing a stunt.