The Hidden Secrets of Jury Duty: Unveiling the Long Con & Teasing a Thrilling Season 2

Summary

Season 1 of Jury Duty follows the unsuspecting Ronald, whom viewers loved because he's genuinely loyal in strange situations.

Ensuring that Ronald remained unaware was quite a daunting task. EP Nick Hatton elucidated their utilization of a "reality bank" to maintain a harmonious blend of ordinary and unconventional instances.

The inclusion of James Marsden enhanced credibility and served as a guiding force for Ronald's actions. Marsden's portrayal was fueled by enthusiasm and a fervent determination to safeguard Ronald.

Streaming now is the first season of Jury Duty, centered around Ronald Gladden. Unbeknownst to him, he is the sole non-actor among the participants of this unusual show. Placed on a jury for an increasingly peculiar case, Ronald forms bonds with his fellow jurors, including actor James Marsden. However, he remains oblivious to the fact that everyone else involved is also part of the acting ensemble. Ronald's genuine kindness, goodness, and unwavering loyalty to his newfound friends have captivated audiences worldwide. Don't miss out on all eight episodes of Jury Duty season 1, available for streaming.

Nicholas Hatton Talks Jury Duty

Screen Rant interviewed Nicholas Hatton, the Executive Producer of Jury Duty, discussing various aspects of the acclaimed series. Hatton expressed his appreciation for the overwhelming support received from viewers and addressed the possibility of a potential second season, exploring whether it would be a feasible and worthwhile endeavor. Additionally, Hatton candidly shared a pivotal moment when the show's direction had to be altered to prioritize Ronald's mental well-being. It is essential to acknowledge that this article was penned amidst the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, highlighting the indispensable contributions of the talented writers and actors from both unions in bringing Jury Duty to fruition.

Screen Rant: How did this idea come about?

Nicholas Hatton: Initially, my colleague Todd Schulman, who worked with me on the show Who Is America? with Sacha Baron Cohen, came up with an idea along with David Bernard, another producer. Their idea was to explore what would happen if Jim from The Office was a genuine person who had no clue that everyone around him was an actor. They envisioned a sitcom with a real individual at its center. This concept was the starting point.

They collaborated with Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, two writer-producers from The Office, who had the idea of setting it in a jury environment. This formed the foundation of the concept. They approached me when I was wrapping up Borat 2, recognizing me as someone who engages in eccentric activities with real people. They asked if I could take on this project, as they had already sold it to Freevee. They wished me luck, and without hesitation, we embarked on this journey. It's incredible to see how we're now discussing it a couple of years later.

Screen Rant: Any thoughts on the potential for a second season?

Nicholas Hatton: It's hard to say. I don't think it would be wise to replicate the same approach. It's like a remarkable magic trick that shouldn't be repeated. The audience might not respond to it as enthusiastically either. So yes, things can be done differently. We don't necessarily want an exact replica. However, there are countless possibilities to explore. At the moment, we haven't discussed it much due to the writers and actors strikes, and we want to respect that. For now, we're just relishing in the success of our beloved show that captivated viewers.

Screen Rant: What obstacles did you face to ensure Ronald remained unaware of any suspicious activity?

Nicholas Hatton: Our main challenge revolved around Ronald's natural instincts. His tendency to pick up on things posed a significant hurdle for us. While we wanted the TV show to be entertaining and include humorous elements, we also had to consider how a real person would react in that situation. If someone acted outlandishly towards them on a sitcom set, they might assume the person is experiencing a mental breakdown or requires medication. So, how do we strike a balance between these contrasting factors? Our solution was to develop a concept called the reality bank.

The reality bank involved filling up the reality meter with mundane activities such as spending five hours on courtroom introductions. For example, presenting evidence, handing over a piece of paper, and then witnessing the judge examine it for five minutes and challenging it. Within 24 minutes, you would find yourself dozing off. The objective was to carry out these tasks as much as humanly possible, and then proceed with something big, like David Brown, who portrays Todd, entering with his chair pants or Marsden taking a colossal poop. All of these actions served as withdrawals from the reality bank. Consequently, it was about depositing in and then cashing out, with the aim of maintaining a balance and a level where the individual perceives the experience as peculiar but still believable within their reality. We heavily relied on this concept.

Screen Rant: James Marsden is talented, but how did they manage to keep it a secret?

Nicholas Hatton: Well, being in L.A. definitely helped. Even celebrities are required to serve jury duty here. Everyone in the writers room had personal experiences of encountering a famous person during jury duty and realizing they were just like everyone else. So we knew it was something that actually happens. Including a celebrity in the story was always part of the plan for various reasons.

Screen Rant: Can you elaborate on the process of involving him in the project?

Nicholas Hatton: James, unlike the rest of our cast, had a busy filming schedule during that time. We didn't provide much information to our cast members before they joined us in the courthouse, which was a bit unfair on our part. It's quite remarkable that they even agreed to participate considering the lack of details. We were concerned about leaks, so we created a completely fabricated reality. Despite this, they trusted us and joined our project. They were with us for about a week, except for James who could only make it in the second week due to scheduling conflicts.

During the initial week of rehearsals, James was absent while the rest of the cast was present. We assured them each day that James would be joining us in a couple of days, promising his imminent arrival. To the extent that a rumor started spreading among the cast members that these rehearsals were, in fact, the actual show. They speculated if we were testing their ability to believe in a different production. Of course, this was not the case.

James joined us in the second week, and he was thrown into the mix without much time to familiarize himself with all the necessary components and catch up with everyone else. However, he embraced the challenge with great enthusiasm and made it a truly enjoyable experience. He wholeheartedly committed to the task, displaying a genuine excitement for venturing into this uncharted territory of improvisation without a safety net, something he had never done before. Despite feeling a slight tension and fear of ensuring that everything we did was right and that Ron remained the subject of celebration rather than ridicule, James's performance exuded immense energy and was truly remarkable. What we saw on screen was a testament to his dedication. It was indeed a marvel.

Screen Rant: How did you decide on using Ronald for the show?

Nicholas Hatton: Indeed, we distributed some compelling Craigslist advertisements to gauge interest in a trial participation opportunity in Southern California. Potential participants had to meet specific criteria, such as being eligible for jury duty, of a certain age, U.S. citizens, and crucially, they must not have previously served on a jury. This requirement was essential because individuals with prior jury duty experience would quickly realize when the trial proceedings deviated from the norm. Even the final unanimous verdict, requiring 12 votes, would appear unusual, as the standard practice in a civil case is a simple majority. It was imperative that the selected individuals had no familiarity with the workings of a jury.

Ronald was among the applicants. Alexis Sampietro, one of our exceptional producers who was entrusted with finding genuine participants for the show, formed a connection with him. The selection process was more of an art than a science, often relying on intuition. When we narrowed down our options, Alexis placed Ronald at the top of the list, confidently stating, "I just have a feeling about this guy. He's impressive. People will connect with him and support him." The most critical factor was creating a show that our audience would passionately support Ronald throughout and experience joy at the conclusion of his journey.

Screen Rant: He's an incredibly kind individual, always safeguarding the secrets of others.

Nicholas Hatton: It highlights the importance of maintaining confidentiality, being kind, providing support, and offering guidance when requested. Additionally, it emphasizes the significance of refraining from excessively interfering in others' affairs. Ronald has undoubtedly demonstrated a blueprint for leading a commendable life.

Screen Rant: I love that the final episode revealed the truth behind the curtain. It even had me crying. Can you talk about the importance of including that?

Nicholas Hatton stated that the show was designed to have seven narrative episodes with an additional eighth episode that revealed how the magic trick was performed. He explained that they decided not to follow the format of another similar show called the Joe Schmo Show, where the actors were frequently shown behind the scenes and discussing their experiences. Instead, they wanted to create a magical experience for the audience, allowing them to become invested in the show's emotions without interruption. However, they did include a peek behind the curtain at the end of the series for those who were still curious. This approach worked well, and the eighth episode, in particular, had a strong emotional impact on viewers. Hatton believes this is because the relationships between the cast and Ronald, although based on deception, were genuine and filled with love. These connections continue to thrive even after the show's conclusion, as the cast remains close and significant in each other's lives.

Screen Rant: How did you feel when the positive reactions started pouring in?

Nicholas Hatton: It was a completely unparalleled experience. To be honest, in the week leading up to the release, there wasn't much buzz surrounding the show. Despite the immense efforts of our team at FreeVee in terms of marketing and publicity, we faced limitations due to the overwhelming amount of TV shows and movies being released daily. There wasn't a strong sense of anticipation or extensive discussion around our show.

I vividly recall the cast and crew screening we had before the show aired. It was a moment that brought everyone together, acknowledging the immense effort we had put into creating something truly challenging. We genuinely loved and appreciated each other's presence throughout the experience, and we felt a sense of pride in what we had accomplished. However, there was a lingering uncertainty that perhaps no one would actually watch the show. Fast forward about a week later, after the first four episodes were released, and everything changed. The world took notice, and people started watching. This created an unprecedented wave of momentum, akin to an old-fashioned word-of-mouth phenomenon, but fueled by the power of 21st-century technology, specifically TikTok. We are eternally grateful to TikTok, as it exposed millions of people to our show, sparking their interest and curiosity. Once individuals engaged with the show, they felt compelled to share their enthusiasm with others. This, I believe, is the essence of our success, and a challenging feat to intentionally replicate. We can only hope to create the best possible content and pray that people will appreciate it, and that's where we find ourselves today.

Screen Rant: I remember enthusiastically recommending this show to numerous individuals, including my own mom during a phone conversation.

Nicholas Hatton has heard countless anecdotes from numerous individuals about the experience of talking to their moms. These stories are diverse, ranging from encounters in Scottish grocery store checkout lines to discussions with friendly baggers about an unaware gentleman in the midst of a trial, only to be interrupted by James Madison's bowel movement. I have been constantly bombarded with these captivating narratives from various aspects of my life. It seems like this phenomenon has effortlessly spread like wildfire among people, compelling them to share their stories with others.

Screen Rant: Were there any instances during filming where unexpected events forced you to change your plans?

Nicholas Hatton: Surprisingly, we didn't deviate much from the script and outlines that we had prior to starting shooting. Many of the significant moments in the show, such as the auditions, the "I'm not racist" scene, the factory trip, Margaritaville, and the arm wrestle, were already written in advance. This is a testament to the talent of our writers, actors, and crew, who were able to skillfully guide Ronald's journey and ensure that he hit all these key moments unintentionally.

However, there were several instances in which we had to change our direction due to newfound insights. For instance, Ronald developed a close bond with Ken, portrayed by Ron Song, who had a gambling addiction related to a Korean game called Yute. Ronald had a great time playing the game with Ken until he intentionally lost a significant amount of money to Ronald, which was premeditated. What we didn't expect was that Ronald would feel immensely guilty about winning a game he didn't even comprehend, leading him to experience distress.

Nevertheless, Ron Song persevered and maintained the necessary performance. He displayed a level of concern while trying to brush it off, assuring everyone that it was okay, but internally struggling. Our original plan was for Ken to escape the jury during episode 106, when they were in the park and Ross's wife appeared, creating a somber atmosphere. Ken was meant to disappear during the festivities and flee, but we realized that it would deeply upset Ronald. We didn't want him to feel responsible for Ken being on the run or to have a negative experience. Therefore, we had to make adjustments. Despite these changes, we managed to stay on track for the most part.

About Jury Duty

Stream season 1 of Jury Duty on Freevee now, as it follows the captivating perspective of juror Ronald Gladden, who remains unaware that everyone around him is an actor.

Source: Screen Rant Plus