2023 Emmys: ‘Jury Duty’ can make a case for Best Comedy Series

On July 12, 2023 we witnessed a true act of justice. “Jury Duty,” the Amazon Freevee cinéma vérité-style sitcom from creators Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (“The Office”) swiped four Emmy nominations including Best Comedy Series. Despite a disclaimer stating the exploration of the American judicial process is its primary goal, “Jury Duty” ends up achieving so much more. But can it pull off an Emmy upset?

The comedy category is a tricky one. Voters love to follow the multiple-winner trend (“30 Rock,” “Modern Family,” “Veep,” and “Ted Lasso” are a few examples). However, in recent years the TV academy has also shown an interest in going off-book by awarding more under-the-radar shows like “Fleabag” in 2019. “Jury Duty” could play that role this year, attracting voters who live in a generation that thrives on the drama of reality TV and bathes in the comfort of sitcoms. It successfully weaves the two genres with hilarious results. Viewers were glued to the screen with a great skeleton script, talented improv actors who portray wacky relatable characters, and a passionate behind-the-scenes crew.

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The prank courtroom schtick works thanks to ‌people on and off camera, but Ronald Gladden, the innocent jury foreperson of this fake trial, is the shining star of “Jury Duty.” The show’s depth relies on one individual and his day-to-day choices as a human being. Is Gladden going to snap or once again choose to be understanding? Will he laugh at Noah’s ridiculous girlfriend troubles or opt to help a poor guy out? Will he care about “the truth” in this made-up case? By its final episode, “Jury Duty” turns into one of the best practical exercises of the Golden Rule: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” And even when Gladden has to decide whether to take the blame for James Marsden’s turd, he obediently sticks to that philosophy.

Since “Jury Duty’s” immense audience endorsement, critics have piled on praise as well. Financial Times critic Fiona Sturges highlights the make-it-or-break-it factor of Gladden as the show’s center: “… what might have been an ethically dubious experiment and an exercise in extreme discomfort has turned out to be both funny and life-affirming.” ‌Roger Ebert journalist Rendy Jones points out how the series reminds us of ‌human camaraderie, writing, “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.” The Guardian editor Betsy Reed recognizes “Jury Duty’s” contribution to comedy as a genre, noting, “The path charted by ‘Jury Duty’ does prove that TV comedy has some life left in it yet, even if it has to reach into real life to get it.”

SEE Cody Heller and Nicholas Hatton (‘Jury Duty’ executive producers): ‘The most terrifying thing was knowing this was a bit like a Jenga tower’

At the end of the day, “Jury Duty” takes us back to basics. No huge budget, fancy camera work, high concepts, crazy promotions, or hyped-up Hollywood stars attached to it. Even Marsden, a recognizable figure who also got his long-overdue Emmy nomination, was never the selling point. And people clearly longed for that kind of simplicity, given that the series scored a 97% audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes, far above many big budget failures. “Jury Duty” reveals that the world needs a real hero much more than a superhero, and this final argument could persuade a jury of Emmy voters to decide in its favor.

“Jury Duty” earned four 2023 Emmy nominations: Best Comedy Series, Best Comedy Supporting Actor (Marsden), Best Comedy Casting and Best Comedy Writing. In 2006 “The Office” was able to take the top prize with just five nominations: Comedy Series, Best Actor (Steve Carell), Best Writing and two bids for Best Editing (different episodes). It lost all of them but Best Comedy Series.

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