Jury Duty (2023 TV series)

Last updated

Jury Duty
Jury Duty TV series poster.png
Genre
Created by
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 originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Robyn Adams
  • Tanner Bean
  • Katrina Mathewson
  • Matthew McIntyre
  • Alexis Sampietro
CinematographyChris Darnell
Editors
Running time26–29 minutes
Production companiesPicrow
The District
Piece of Work Entertainment
Amazon Studios
Original release
Network Amazon Freevee
ReleaseApril 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.

Contents

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 won a 2023 Peabody Award for "wrapping up a lesson of civic responsibility within a warmhearted comedic tale, and for creating a bold feat of nonfiction storytelling that proves reality television can, surprisingly, bring out the best in all of us." [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

Other

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date  [4]
1"Voir Dire" Jake Szymanski Tanner Bean & Katrina MathewsonApril 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 SzymanskiEse ShawApril 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 SzymanskiMarcos GonzalezApril 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 SzymanskiKerry O'NeillApril 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 SzymanskiEvan WilliamsApril 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

AwardYearCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
American Film Institute Awards 2023Television Program of the YearJury DutyWon [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 DutyNominated [16]
Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film James Marsden Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards 2023 Best Streaming Series, ComedyJury DutyNominated [17]
Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series, Comedy James Marsden Won
Independent Spirit Awards 2023 Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted SeriesAlan 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 WilliamsWon [18]
Best New Scripted Series Jury DutyNominated
Peabody Awards 2023 Entertainment Honoree Jury DutyWon [19]


Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards 2023 Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series Susie FarrisNominated [20]
Primetime Emmy Awards 2023 Outstanding Comedy Series Jury DutyNominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series James MarsdenNominated
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 DutyNominated [21]
TCA Awards 2023 Outstanding New Program Jury DutyNominated [22]
Individual Achievement in Comedy James MarsdenNominated
Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming Jury DutyWon
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 WilliamsNominated [23]
New Series Nominated

See also

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References

  1. ↑ https://peabodyawards.com/award-profile/jury-duty/
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 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. 1 2 "'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. 1 2 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  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.
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