9 Hilariously Bizarre Shows & Movies Like Jury Duty To Watch Next
This is your sign to watch The Truman Show.
There’s a special magic about Jury Duty that’s hard to replicate. The experimental Amazon Freevee series could have easily gone off the rails at any moment, but instead, it teetered into TV gold thanks to its unwitting star, Ronald. It’s hard not to completely devour the whole show in one sitting, and then crave more of its weird-but-heartwarming humor afterwards. While a second season is still a giant question mark, here are some delightfully bizarre shows and movies that blur the lines of reality and artifice in a similar way that Jury Duty does.
Jury Duty feels like a totally fresh new concept, but that’s not entirely true. Sure, the show stands out from the pack thanks to its amazing group of improv actors and its infectiously optimistic and worry-free star Ronald, but several shows and movies have broached the idea of surrounding one oblivious person with a completely faked scenario before. Likewise, there are lots of projects that may not exactly go for the same structure as Jury Duty, but totally replicate its secret sauce of bizarre antics that lead to surprisingly uplifting moments. If you’re looking for the perfect follow-up to Jury Duty, then may I present you with Exhibit A: this list.
1. The Truman Show
One of the most obvious inspirations for Jury Duty is the classic 1998 comedy The Truman Show. The movie blows up Ronald’s situation to the nth degree, as Truman lives in an entire fake city full of actors. He’s just a regular guy, but doesn’t realize he’s actually the star of a hit reality show that’s been secretly filming him and controlling his surroundings since birth.
2. The Joe Schmo Show
Before there was Jury Duty, there was The Joe Schmo Show. The mid-2000s Spike series also planted one unaware everyman in the middle of a group of secret actors, but on a fake game show rather than a fake trial.
3. Nathan For You
Most of the humor in Jury Duty comes from social awkwardness, and if you were cracking up at Todd’s chair-pants, then Nathan For You will have you on the floor. Nathan Fielder’s genre-busting Comedy Central series is a treasure trove of deadpan awkwardness, as Fielder uses his bumbling persona to convince businesses to try bonkers marketing stunts.
4. The Office
Another comparison that might have immediately come to mind when watching Jury Duty is The Office. The sitcom is known for popularizing the mockumentary format for television, and it also shares a very similar sense of humor with Jury Duty by always emphasizing awkward silences and outlandish characters.
5. Trial & Error
If you want a quicker watch than The Office that actually hits the Jury Duty vibe even harder, Trial & Error is the hidden gem for you. The NBC sitcom lasted only two seasons, but it’s packed with zany characters and deceptively complex court cases. It’s basically Jury Duty turned into a sitcom.
6. Best in Show
When it comes to the mockumentary form, nobody can touch the master. Christopher Guest’s filmography is packed with cult classics that turn fake documentaries into high, comedic art. Best in Show is a prime example, and perfect for anyone who loved Jury Duty. Instead of judging a case, this movie is about judging a dog show.
7. The Rehearsal
Nathan Fielder’s followup to Nathan For You may be even more in-line with the tone of Jury Duty, since it leans much more into the reality-blending aspect. The HBO series sees Fielder build elaborate fake scenarios where people anxious about an upcoming life event can “rehearse” it first. As the show goes on, the lines between what’s real and what’s not become impossible to see.
8. Party Down
Although Party Down is a fully scripted comedy series, it does sometimes feel like Adam Scott’s character Henry is in the same position as Ronald. He’s a washed-up actor who’s now forced to cater parties for Hollywood bigwigs, working alongside fellow struggling actors who are way more detached from reality than himself. He’s like a much more sarcastic, pessimistic version of Ronald, basically.
9. Review
Review is the perfect show to fully marathon or to just put on a random episode and enjoy. It stars Andy Daly as Forrest MacNeil, a professional critic who will review anything his viewers suggest, including illegal topics like stealing and murder. The Comedy Central series also follows a mockumentary format, as behind-the-scenes cameras capture Forrest struggling to keep up with the rigorous demands of his review show. Much like Ronald, it seems nothing can break his spirit, despite how absurd his world becomes.
