Getting jury duty is one of life’s fun little bonus side quests where you have no choice but to face the American judicial system, whether you want to or not. Some people look forward to jury duty, while others just welcome the excuse to be away from their real job for so long. But what if you get your jury duty letter, took time off work, and ended up being a part of a bonkers trial, only to learn that the whole thing was orchestrated by actors and producers? This isn’t a Nathan Fielder fever dream, it’s a new Amazon show, Jury Duty!
Jury Duty is a new mockumentary-style comedy series that takes place in a courtroom…only everyone is a scripted actor except for one particular juror, who thinks the whole thing is real. Plus– the show features the human form of sunshine, James Marsden! The show was filmed while he was working on Westworld (RIP).
By the looks of the trailer, it seems like there will be some interesting characters involved in the alleged trial, while Marsden will just be playing his usual lovely self who is not recognized by the judge. It seems like the said judge is not a fan of the hit romantic comedy 27 Dresses, so he clearly doesn’t have great judgment. Good thing he’s an actor.
The series is produced by The White Lotus’ David Bernad and The Office’s Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, who also penned the series. Here is the official synopsis:
Jury Duty chronicles the inner workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of one particular juror, Ronald Gladden. What Gladden doesn’t know is that the entire case is fake, everyone except him is an actor, including James Marsden, and everything that happens — inside the courtroom and out — is carefully planned.
The series will consist of eight episodes airing on Amazon’s ad-powered streamer Freevee, with the first four episodes premiering on April 7, then two more every Friday until the finale on April 21st. If only the real judicial system worked so quickly. Check out the wild trailer above.