As unlikely as it was that the creators of Jury Duty were able to convince poor, sweet Ronald Gladden that he was a part of both an actual jury and a real documentary, it’s even harder to believe they were able to do it again.
Jury Duty Presents Company Retreat repeated the magic trick, this time with Captain Fun himself, Anthony Norman, during a week-long getaway for the fake hot sauce brand Rockin’ Grandma’s. The second season not only pulled off another elaborate, good-natured prank, but once again made one of the year’s best TV comedies in the process.
While Company Retreat‘s format is unorthodox, especially when examining it through the rigid lenses of Emmys categories, there is precedent in the second go around. The original Jury Duty earned four nominations, including Best Comedy Series and Best Comedy Supporting Actor for James Marsden.
Could Company Retreat keep the party rockin’? Here’s where to look for it come Emmy nominations.
Comedy Series
Back in 2023, Jury Duty wasn’t just an unlikely hit, but an unlikely nominee for Best Comedy Series. The format-defying show is highly scripted (with one teensy exception), so the category makes the most sense, and Company Retreat functioned essentially the same way from a production standpoint — just on a bigger scale. With last year’s winner,The Studio, not returning in time for consideration in 2026, it frees up some space in the category that could easily go to the folks at Rockin’ Grandmas.
Comedy Supporting Actor
James Marsden’s casting in the first season was inspired from a marketing perspective and for helping to draw focus away from the less-famous, but equally-as-fake co-stars around Ronald. With no A-list talent temping at the hot sauce purveyor, Company Retreat — despite having a cast full of talented improvisors and actors — is missing an obvious candidate for a performance nomination. But Alex Bonifer, who plays the lovable failson Dougie Jr., and the cast member who grew the closest to Anthony, could break through for his essential role in pulling off the prank once again.
Comedy Writing
In many ways, the Jury Duty series is a feat of improvisational comedy, but the affirming endgames for both seasons hinged on careful planning and sharp writing. From the characters that filled out the fictional org chart to the hostile takeover storyline that pushed Anthony to go above and beyond the call of duty, Company Retreat‘s writing struck a balance between entertaining the audience and not cluing in its hero.
Comedy Casting
The conceit of Jury Duty lives and dies by its cast. If they can’t act to the degree that the lead believes the scenario, there is no show. Finding that ensemble two seasons in a row has fallen to casting director Susie Farris, who received an Emmy nomination for her work on the first Jury Duty and could again for Company Retreat.
