Peacock’s newest comedy, Hitmen, is a “genuinely uncomplicated pleasure” that harnesses the chemistry of comedy duo and former Great British Bake Off hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins (also known as Mel and Sue.) Joe Markham and Joe Parham (who are two different people and not just aliases for one person) created this droll and highly entertaining new series, which debuts its complete first season August 6 on NBC’s latest streaming platform.
As Laura Bogart writes in her review of the show, Hitmen finds its “comedy in the workaday tedium of contract killing,” with Giedroyc and Perkins doing the wetwork as Fran and Jamie, respectively. There are no slick montages or one-liners deployed with the cool, dry wit of an action hero. Fran and Jamie are no more invested in their work than the eponymous disillusioned assassin of HBO’s Barry. They have to find ways to pass the time between contracts and orders—in this exclusive clip, they give charades a go during an ersatz birthday party for Fran while they wait to learn the fate of their latest target (a lawyer played by Jason Watkins).
The scene calls into question Jamie and Fran’s pantomiming skills—though Fran’s Pinocchio is clearly the superior impression—as well as their focus (should Watkins’ character be having so much fun in captivity?), while channeling Giedroyc and Perkins’ real-life bond into the lived-in dynamic between these two assassins. Fran’s birthday party plans—or rather, Jamie’s plans for Fran’s birthday—continue to go awry, which are both the least and most pressing of the duo’s concerns.
Hitmen also stars Asim Chaudhry and Tonya Cornelisse, with guest-star turns from Sian Clifford (as “The Accountant”) and Intelligence creator Nick Mohammed (as “The Human Spider.”) The series premieres August 6 on Peacock.