What to know about ‘Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat,’ per its producers

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The team behind “Jury Duty” achieved something remarkable. A few years ago, they managed to convince a network to create a reality-comedy series that, on paper, had almost no chance of success. It didn’t have built-in staying power, wasn’t based on any existing popular idea, and wasn’t cheap to make. What’s more, the entire concept – fooling one person into believing a false reality – could have easily fallen apart.

According to co-creator Lee Eisenberg, this show is unusual because there’s a genuine chance it might not finish its planned run.

Eisenberg and his team were hugely relieved when Ronald Gladden, the ordinary man featured in “Jury Duty,” reached the show’s planned final reveal. It turned out there was never a real trial – all the other “jurors” were actors, and the documentary Gladden thought he was participating in was actually a TV experiment similar to “The Truman Show.” (Luckily, a $100,000 prize helped soften the shock of James Marsden’s deception.)

Then they struck lightning again.

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At first, the actor thought the show might be a joke at his expense. Then, he became concerned that it would unfairly portray Ronald Gladden. Ultimately, his biggest fear was accidentally letting slip a major secret.

The new show, “Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat,” starts Friday with three episodes. It takes the same hidden-camera style of the original “Jury Duty” and moves it to a family-run hot sauce company’s yearly retreat. The show follows a temporary worker who doesn’t realize he’s the only real person, as he tries to keep the struggling business from falling apart. Expect the same hilarious moments as the first season – the creators also wrote some of the most famous episodes of “The Office,” like “Dinner Party” and “Scott’s Tots.” This time, however, everything is bigger: the set is ten times larger, built in a closed-down courthouse, and features a much larger cast all pretending to be long-time colleagues.

Eisenberg explained they aimed for a more film-like feel and spent a lot of time developing detailed backstories for the characters. They wanted the audience to understand the relationships and histories between them – things like who got a promotion over another person, or what their hobbies were. This was different from ‘Jury Duty,’ where the characters were all meeting for the first time, making the process more challenging.

With so much left to chance and improvisation, “every day, it could fall apart,” Eisenberg said.

That’s also what makes it thrilling for producer Todd Schulman. He explained that after producing shows with so much improvisation, it feels unfair when the actors have scripted lines – the magic comes from not knowing what the other person will say.

Below, Eisenberg and Schulman answer some of the biggest questions surrounding “Company Retreat.”

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‘Jury Duty’ returns with ‘Company Retreat’ and a new lovable, out-of-the-loop hero

The popular Prime Video series is back, this time following a new, unsuspecting main character who takes a temporary job at a hot sauce company. Hilarious, lighthearted pranks quickly follow.

Why is this season not ‘Jury Duty’ as we remember it?

It might seem logical that if the creators of “Jury Duty” did another season with a courtroom setting, their main character would be much more likely to figure out the deception. However, according to Schulman, the decision to create a completely new scenario wasn’t about hiding the show’s premise, but about being innovative and making things even more challenging.

Schulman explained they felt they’d already fully explored that creative direction. They were more interested in applying the idea of a real person in a humorous, everyday setting to different and new worlds.

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Casting director Susie Farris reviewed over 5,500 audition videos, searching for actors who seemed authentic and representative of people in Los Angeles.

Who is the ‘hero,’ the person who is not in on the ruse?

If you enjoyed Gladden’s personality on “Jury Duty,” you’ll likely love Anthony Norman from Nashville, the star of “Company Retreat.”

Norman, 25 at the time of filming, was one of ten thousand applicants who thought they were participating in a documentary about a small business. According to Schulman, selecting a main subject from such a large group is more about intuition than strict criteria. Like Gladden, Norman had a genuine kindness and goodness that made viewers naturally want to support him.

Schulman described him as having a natural warmth and confidence. He seemed completely comfortable with himself and unfazed by anything they might throw his way.

Eisenberg and Schulman both felt revealing too much about the character Norman before the show aired would ruin the fun of discovering him. However, Eisenberg highlighted that the dedication Norman showed to Rockin’ Grandma’s and its staff was genuinely remarkable, stating, “That’s something you just can’t create artificially.”

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Ronald Gladden, known for his role in ‘Jury Duty,’ shared his Emmys experience with The Times. We followed him from getting ready in his tuxedo to meeting stars on the red carpet – here’s a look at the best moments.

How did they land on a company retreat as the new premise?

Even before officially planning a second season, the show’s creators were brainstorming ideas. They wanted a setting similar to a jury deliberation – isolated and full of dramatic potential. A corporate retreat kept coming up as the most promising concept.

As a total movie buff, what really grabbed me about this project was the classic underdog story – it’s like a modern David versus Goliath. We kept referencing those fun ‘80s movies where the unlikely heroes take on the established, often snobby, powers-that-be. It felt like a perfect way to show the struggle between a small, family-owned business and a huge corporation.

As a huge fan of ‘Jury Duty,’ I learned the creators of the new show ‘Company Retreat’ really wanted it to feel like it belonged in that same universe, but also stand on its own as something totally unique. That’s what co-creator Cody Eisenberg told me – they were aiming for a balance between familiar vibes and a fresh experience.

Why use a hot sauce company in the show?

Eisenberg explained that the show’s creators were always keen on featuring a relatable, family-run company as a central element, allowing them to build a story about an underdog challenging a much larger power.

As a movie buff, one of the things I really appreciated about the film was the writers’ playful nod to the crazy names some hot sauce companies come up with – like, seriously, “Slap Ya Mama”? It’s such a fun detail that felt really authentic and added a lot of personality.

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How was Norman different from Gladden as a hero?

Norman had a much heavier workload than Gladden, according to Eisenberg, but he consistently exceeded expectations. He often took initiative and made decisions ahead of schedule, surprising the producers who thought those choices wouldn’t be made for quite some time.

“Does he have a script that I’m not seeing?” Eisenberg recalled thinking on set.

Schulman didn’t say exactly how, but confirmed they made sure Norman hadn’t watched the show “Jury Duty.”

“We just lucked out,” he said about the budding star.

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2026-03-20 13:31