Described as “The Truman Show” meets “The Office,” Freevee’s “Jury Duty” is an improved docu-comedy series where only one of the cast members — project manager Ronald Gladden – is not in on the joke. Though the show takes place inside a real courthouse, the “trial” it covers is completely staged, and every person Gladden interacts with is a paid actor.

Gladden emerged from the show as a star thanks to his empathetic relationships with his fellow (fake) jurors. The crew threw all kinds of staged conflict and comedic setups at Gladden and he surprised them — and us — at every turn. By the finale, he came away not as the show’s fall guy, but as its hero — and also $100,000 richer.

And then there’s James Marsden, who co-stars on the series as … James Marsden, a stereotypically Hollywood version of himself. In reality, Marsden was sent to the jury as a kind of chaos-agent, meant to push Gladden to his limits. The actor’s willingness to poke fun at his celebrity image helped make the whole experiment come together in a way most scripted comedies could only dream of achieving. 

“It was a journey for us as much as it was for him,” Marsden says in the final episode. “And every day was different. You couldn’t anticipate how he was going to react. There is a high wire element to this … You’re flying without a net.”

Even when the ruse is finally revealed to Gladden, he is surprised, but not angry. If one can glean anything from “Jury Duty” as the world prepares to step into 2024, it’s that goodness exists and can be rewarded. – Emily Zogbi