Some people, for whatever reason, expect that civic duty that most of us dread. Perhaps this rare species hopes to be part of an exciting national interest story, one that would put them at the very center of its outcome.
Most people, of course, know that jury duty is rarely exciting. Most of the cases involve low-key crimes, where neither Perry Mason nor Matlock ever shows up. However, after receiving the notice in the mail last month, I prepared myself to drive to the courthouse every morning until my week was up.
To my good fortune, I didn’t even have to start the car that week. As instructed, I called the jury number every night before, only to find that no jurors would be needed.
Because I was relieved when I heard that message, it made me stand out from some of my favorite TV sitcom characters. In many of these shows, people really enjoy the responsibility of hearing cases. Actually, those who feel like me are in the minority on this list.
Here are ten classic sitcoms that feature an episode about one of the regular characters who serve as a jury.
Edith Bunker on “All in the Family”
Archie’s wife (played by Jean Stapleton) is the only one on the jury who refuses to return a guilty verdict, and she ends up being right.
Aunt Bee in “The Andy Griffith Show”
The head of the Taylor family resists what the other eleven jurors believe, but his reluctance is vindicated.
Homer Simpson in “The Simpsons”
In the episode called “The Boy Who Knew Too Much”, Homer serves as a juror in a case in which the absent Bart ends up being a reluctant eyewitness.
Fred Sanford in “Sanford and Son”
The father (played by Redd Foxx) enjoys his hotel stay and free meals so much that he refuses to come to a unanimous verdict.
Lois on “Malcolm in the Middle”
In the same episode where the main character sees Kitty naked, her mother (played by Janet Kaczemarek) fights with other jurors to analyze her case instead of just saying guilty to get it over with.
Peter Griffin in ‘Family Guy’
In an episode called “121/2 Angry Men,” the selected jury includes Peter, Quagmire, and Brian.
Roger in “American Dad”
Roger ends up being on the panel that will decide Stan’s guilt in an episode called “The People v. Martin Sugar”.
Jess in “New Girl”
The title character (played by Zooey Daschenal) is excited to do his civic duty, until he learns that missing work could jeopardize a new job promotion.
Adrian Monk in “Monk”
The private detective of the title (played by Tony Shalhoub), while sitting on a jury, discovers that one of his partners is involved in a crime greater than the one in the case they are hearing.
Diane in “Health”
The female star at the bar where everyone knows your name (played by Shelly Long) not only has to serve as a jury, but is also assigned the unenviable responsibility of being the foreman.
