New Jury Duty Spin-Off Tricks Unsuspecting Temp Into Fake Corporate Retreat
A new comedy series, Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat, has premiered on Prime Video. The show follows Anthony Norman, an unsuspecting temporary assistant hired for a fictional hot sauce company. Producers used hidden cameras and elaborate setups to keep the ruse alive throughout filming.
The concept began with Jury Duty, a surprise hit where solar panel contractor Ronald Gladden was unknowingly cast in a mockumentary about a trial. The show's success came from its high-wire premise and Gladden's genuine reactions, though producers never officially confirmed details about its reception.
To find a new lead, the team posted fake job listings on sites like Craigslist. Norman was selected after agreeing to appear in what he believed was a documentary about small-business retreats. Once hired, he was told he'd be assisting at Rockin' Grandma's Hot Sauce, a company created entirely for the show—complete with a website and social media accounts for his fictional co-workers. Filming relied on Norman's unscripted responses, with the cast improvising around him. Hidden cameras captured his reactions, though a few slip-ups—like a visible camera and a stray script—had to be fixed quickly. After production wrapped, Norman was told the truth: he wasn't the joke but the hero of the show. Executive producer Todd Schulman aimed to recreate the same precarious energy from *Jury Duty*. The new season keeps the format of blending reality with fiction, this time in a corporate retreat setting.
The series now streams on Prime Video, with Norman's unwitting participation at its core. The producers' careful planning—from fake job ads to a fully fabricated company—ensured the illusion held until the very end. Norman's role as the central figure ties the show together, offering viewers another layer of unscripted comedy.
