Jury Duty (2023 TV series)

Jury Duty
Genre	Reality television hoax
Created by	Lee Eisenberg Gene Stupnitsky
Directed by	Jake Szymanski
Starring	James Marsden Alan Barinholtz Susan Berger Cassandra Blair David Brown Kirk Fox Ross Kimball Pramode Kumar Trisha LaFache Mekki Leeper Edy Modica Kerry O'Neill Rashida Olayiwola Whitney Rice Maria Russell Ishmel Sahid Ben Seaward Ron Song Evan Williams
Music by	Danny Dunlap John Nau Andrew Feltenstein
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	8
Production
Executive producers	David Bernad Lee Eisenberg Gene Stupnitsky Ruben Fleischer Nicholas Hatton Cody Heller Todd Schulman Jake Szymanski Andrew Weinberg
Producers	Robyn Adams Tanner Bean Katrina Mathewson Matthew McIntyre Alexis Sampietro
Cinematography	Chris Darnell
Editors	Diana Fishman Steven Rosenthal Adam Lichtenstein Mary DeChambres
Running time	26–29 minutes
Production companies	Picrow The District Piece of Work Entertainment Amazon Studios
Original release
Network	Amazon Freevee
Release	April 7 (2023-04-07) – April 21, 2023 (2023-04-21)

Jury Duty is an American reality hoax sitcom television series created by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, about a fake jury trial. It stars Ronald Gladden as a juror who is unaware of the hoax. James Marsden co-stars alongside an ensemble cast. It premiered on Amazon Freevee on April 7, 2023.

The series received three nominations at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Marsden. It also received nominations for two Golden Globe Awards, Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy and Best Supporting Actor for Marsden. The series also won a Peabody Award.^[1]

Synopsis

The series chronicles the inner workings of a jury trial in the US through the eyes of juror Ronald Gladden, a solar contractor from San Diego, who is unaware that his jury duty summons was not official, and that everyone in the courtroom aside from him is an actor. Everything that happens, inside and outside the courtroom, is planned.^[2][3]

Cast

Jurors

• Ronald Gladden as himself (Juror #6), the only juror who is unaware the entire case is fake
• James Marsden as himself (Juror #14), portraying a parody of himself as an alternate juror
• Mekki Leeper as Noah Price (Juror #11), a rideshare driver who misses his vacation with his girlfriend due to jury duty
• Edy Modica as Jeannie Abruzzo (Juror #4), a promiscuous juror with an attraction to Noah
• Ishmel Sahid as Lonnie Coleman (Juror #13), an alternate who takes over Tim's spot when he gets injured
• David Brown as Todd Gregory (Juror #2), a socially awkward inventor
• Cassandra Blair as Vanessa Jenkins (Juror #8)
• Maria Russell as Inez De Leon (Juror #10), a juror who has ambitions to be the foreperson
• Kirk Fox as Pat McCurdy (Juror #1)
• Susan Berger as Barbara Goldstein (Juror #5), a juror who keeps sleeping during the trial
• Ross Kimball as Ross Kubiak (Juror #12), a teacher who is having marital troubles
• Pramode Kumar as Ravi Chattapodhyay (Juror #3)
• Ron Song as Ken Hyun (Juror #9), a candy machine business owner
• Brandon Loeser as Tim Smith (Juror #7), a juror who gets injured and released from the trial

Other

• Alan Barinholtz as Judge Alan Rosen
• Rashida Olayiwola as Officer Nikki Wilder, the bailiff
• Whitney Rice as Jacquiline Hilgrove, the wealthy plaintiff who owns the business, Cinnamon and Sparrow
• Ben Seaward as Trevor Morris, the defendant, an employee of Cinnamon and Sparrow, who is accused of harming the business
• Trisha LaFache as Debra LaSeur, the plaintiff's attorney
• Evan Williams as Shaun Sanders, Trevor's defense attorney
• Kerry O'Neill as Officer Christine Sugalski, who becomes friends with the jurors and helps Noah check on his girlfriend's Instagram
• Peter Hulne as Randy "Cody" Schiller, a witness for the plaintiff.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date [4]
1	"Voir Dire"	Jake Szymanski	Tanner Bean & Katrina Mathewson	April 7, 2023 (2023-04-07)
Ronald Gladden arrives at the Huntington Park Superior Court in Los Angeles to serve on a jury for a civil trial he does not know is being staged. Various jurors attempt to get out of jury duty by offering excuses during the Voir Dire process. The judge, initially lenient, becomes strict after a lunch break during which he claims his car was broken into. Paparazzi show up to photograph James Marsden, prompting the judge to sequester the jury to avoid potential disruption.
2	"Opening Arguments"	Jake Szymanski	Ese Shaw	April 7, 2023 (2023-04-07)
The jurors are brought to the hotel where they are to be sequestered and get to know one another over tasks such as ordering meals. Opening arguments take place in the trial, about a garment factory employee who has defecated on shirts. The prosecution presents an animated video depicting the incident, which the defense tries to counter with a video of its own, but it cannot get it to play properly. A juror is injured by a falling shelf and taken away for medical care, causing an alternate to be promoted.
3	"Foreperson"	Jake Szymanski	Marcos Gonzalez	April 7, 2023 (2023-04-07)
Gladden is made the foreperson of the jury. Todd arrives to court wearing a pair of modified crutches being used as "chair pants". Witnesses are called, who testify to the defendant being a bum. Gladden is tasked with keeping Barbara from dozing off.
4	"Field Trip"	Jake Szymanski	Andrew Weinberg	April 7, 2023 (2023-04-07)
The jury is given a tour of the factory where the incident took place. Gladden finds marks on the floor where barrels appear to have been suspiciously moved, and later enters a room with a chemical odor and T-shirts. The jury has dinner at a Margaritaville restaurant, during which Noah accidentally becomes drunk and breaks up with his girlfriend, who is strongly suspected of cheating on him.
5	"Ineffective Assistance"	Jake Szymanski	Mekki Leeper	April 14, 2023 (2023-04-14)
In the face of ineffective counsel, the defendant opts to represent himself. At the hotel, Marsden has Gladden help him rehearse lines for an audition and take the blame for clogging his hotel room's toilet. Gladden wingmans for Noah, who hooks up with Jeannie.
6	"Closing Arguments"	Jake Szymanski	Kerry O'Neill	April 14, 2023 (2023-04-14)
Gladden plays a game of yut with Ken, who loses and owes him $2,000 (due to a multiplier), which he refuses to take. The jury hears closing arguments in the case, during which the defendant is blocked from testifying about his alleged chemical exposure because it was not part of discovery. Marsden is denied a role in the film he was auditioning for. The jury holds a birthday party for Ross at Hazeltine Park, but Marsden, thinking it is a pity party for him, angrily destroys the cake.
7	"Deliberations"	Jake Szymanski	Evan Williams	April 21, 2023 (2023-04-21)
The jury enters the deliberations phase. They are initially split, but Gladden persuades them to arrive at a not liable verdict, which he delivers to the judge, who then reveals to him that the trial was faked.
8	"The Verdict"	Jake Szymanski		April 21, 2023 (2023-04-21)
Gladden is given a behind-the-scenes tour of how the trial was staged and the show was filmed.

The last episode does not have a writer because it is unscripted (see summary).

Production

On September 15, 2022, it was reported that a semi-improvised docu-style comedy series starring James Marsden and a group of up-and-coming actors with improv backgrounds had secretly been filmed for Amazon Studios.^[3][5] The 17-day shoot was filmed in a real courtroom south of Los Angeles.^[5][6] According to executive producer Todd balad Schulman, Jury Duty began as an attempt to make a sitcom like The Office about a trial, with a real person at the center of the show who doesn't know that he's surrounded by actors.^[2] Creators Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky both previously worked as writer-producers on The Office.^[7]

In order to find a non-actor for the show's lead, an ad was put up on Craigslist.^[8] Marsden stars as an alternate version of himself, alongside other actors including Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger, Cassandra Blair, and Rashida Olayiwola.^[2] Cody Heller serves as showrunner and executive producer, and Jake Szymanski as director.^[9] The series is also executive produced by David Bernad, Lee Eisenberg, Ruben Fleischer, Nicholas Hatton, Stupnitsky, Szymanski, and Andrew Weinberg.^[2]

Release

The series' first four episodes premiered on Amazon Freevee on April 7, 2023, and the fifth and sixth episodes followed on April 14. The final two episodes, including the season finale, were released on April 21, 2023.^[2]

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 82% approval rating with an average rating of 6.7/10, based on 33 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "While this courtroom comedy isn't as tedious as actual jury duty – largely thanks to a very game James Marsden – the verdict is still out on whether its stylistic gambit pays off."^[10] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 51 out of 100 based on seven critic reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".^[11]

Rendy Jones of RogerEbert.com called the series "a solid workplace comedy that tells a resonant story of community, delightfully unpacking how it's not just about serving in this world but who you're serving with."^[12] Charles Bramesco of The Guardian gave the series 2 out of 5 stars, writing, "With the head of a hidden-camera prank show, the heart of a workplace sitcom, and the body of a true crime documentary, the boundary-blurring new comedy Jury Duty makes for an odd chimera of genres."^[13]

Accolades

Award	Year	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
American Film Institute Awards	2023	Television Program of the Year	Jury Duty	Won	[14]
Critics' Choice Television Awards	2023	Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	James Marsden	Nominated	[15]
Golden Globe Awards	2023	Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy	Jury Duty	Nominated	[16]
		Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film	James Marsden	Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards	2023	Best Streaming Series, Comedy	Jury Duty	Nominated	[17]
		Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series, Comedy	James Marsden	Won
Independent Spirit Awards	2023	Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series	Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger, Cassandra Blair, David Brown, Kirk Fox, Ross Kimball, Pramode Kumar, Trisha LaFache, Mekki Leeper, James Marsden, Edy Modica, Kerry O’Neill, Rashida Olayiwola, Whitney Rice, Maria Russell, Ishmel Sahid, Ben Seaward, Ron Song, and Evan Williams	Won	[18]
		Best New Scripted Series	Jury Duty	Nominated
Peabody Awards	2023	Entertainment Honoree	Jury Duty	Won	[19]
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	2023	Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series	Susie Farris	Nominated	[20]
Primetime Emmy Awards	2023	Outstanding Comedy Series	Jury Duty	Nominated
		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	James Marsden	Nominated
		Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series	Mekki Leeper (for "Ineffective Assistance")	Nominated
Producers Guild of America Awards	2023	Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy	Jury Duty	Nominated	[21]
TCA Awards	2023	Outstanding New Program	Jury Duty	Nominated	[22]
		Individual Achievement in Comedy	James Marsden	Nominated
		Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming	Jury Duty	Won
Writers Guild of America Awards	2023	Comedy Series	Tanner Bean, Lee Eisenberg, Marcos Gonzalez, Cody Heller, Mekki Leeper, Katrina Mathewson, Kerry O’Neill, Ese Shaw, Gene Stupnitsky, Andrew Weinberg, Evan Williams	Nominated	[23]
		New Series		Nominated

See also

• The Joe Schmo Show – a reality television hoax show
• Invasion Iowa – a reality television hoax show
• Living the Dream (New Zealand TV series) – a reality television hoax show

References

1. "Jury Duty".
2. Cordero, Rosy (March 7, 2023). "James Marsden Freevee Series 'Jury Duty' Sets Cast & Premiere Date; Drops Trailer". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
3. "'Jury Duty' Trailer: James Marsden-led Comedy Creates Scripted Case Around a Real Juror". Collider. March 7, 2023. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
4. "Shows A-Z – Jury Duty on Freevee". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
5. Andreeva, Nellie (September 15, 2022). "Amazon Freevee Has Secretly Shot A Jury Trial Docu-Style Comedy Series Starring James Marsden". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
6. Alexander, Bryan (April 8, 2023). "How 'Jury Duty' completely faked a trial in real courtroom with a narcissistic James Marsden". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
7. Reul, Katie (March 7, 2023). "Nick Offerman Plays a Neo-Nazi Foodie in 'Party Down' Season 3 Clip". Variety. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
8. Gularte, Alejandra (April 24, 2023). "How Jury Duty Orchestrated the Trial of a Lifetime". Vulture. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
9. Jacobs, Meredith (March 7, 2023). "'Jury Duty': James Marsden Stars in Docu-Style Comedy With a Major Twist on Amazon Freevee". TV Insider. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
10. "Jury Duty: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
11. "Jury Duty: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
12. Jones, Rendy (April 6, 2023). "Charming Comedy Jury Duty Makes Case for a Different Verdict". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
13. Bramesco, Charles (April 5, 2023). "Jury Duty review – fake trial prank comedy show courts few laughs". The Guardian. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
14. Davis, Clayton (December 7, 2023). "AFI Awards: 'Barbie' and 'Spider-Verse' Among 10 Best Films, Top TV Shows Include 'Jury Duty' and 'Last of Us'". Variety. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
15. Brew, Caroline (December 5, 2023). "'The Morning Show,' 'Succession' Lead 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards TV Nominations". Variety. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
16. Hipes, Patrick (December 11, 2023). "Golden Globe Nominations: 'Barbie', 'Oppenheimer' Top Movie List; 'Succession' Leads Way In TV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
17. Anderson, Erik (July 11, 2023). "'The Boys,' 'Yellowjackets,' 'Abbott Elementary' lead 2023 HCA TV Awards nominations". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
18. Moreau, Bret Lang,Jordan; Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan (December 5, 2023). "Spirit Awards 2024 Nominations List: 'Past Lives,' 'May December,' 'American Fiction' Lead With 5 Noms Each". Variety. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
19. Schneider, Michael. "'The Bear,' 'Bluey,' 'The Last of Us' Among This Year's Peabody Awards Winners; Kumail Nanjiani to Host Ceremony". Retrieved May 9, 2024.
20. Moreau, Jordan (July 12, 2023). "Emmys 2023: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Archived from the original on July 17, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
21. Davis, Clayton (January 12, 2024). "PGA Awards Nominations: 'Anatomy of a Fall' and 'Zone of Interest' Make History and Join 'Barbie,' 'Oppenheimer' and More". Variety. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
22. Jones, Marcus (August 7, 2023). "'Succession' and 'The Bear' Win at 2023 TCA Awards: Full List". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 9, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
23. Lewis, Hilary (February 21, 2024). "WGA Awards: 'Air,' 'Barbie,' 'Oppenheimer,' 'May December' Among Film Screenplay Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved February 27, 2024.

External links

• Official website
• Jury Duty at IMDb