A recent update about the comeback ofScrubsmakes it sound like the sitcom’s revival is edging ever closer, but showrunner Bill Lawrence’s plan seems primed to repeat one of the biggest missteps the project ever made. Notall nine seasons ofScrubsare viewed as equally enjoyable, with many fans ranking one run in particular as easily the worst. Whilea statement from Lawrence in a recent interview sounds as though he has a clear planfor the imminentScrubsrevival, the reassurance fades a little when certain facets of his blueprint are taken into account.
In recent years, Bill Lawrence has been hard at work making shows for Apple TV+. So, his plan to bring backScrubshas largely been delayed by the fact that the medical sitcom is owned by Disney, so a deal has been in the works to allow Lawrence to straddle both studios. Thankfully,the showrunner has confirmed theScrubsdeal is “so very close” to completion, butthe return of JD and the gang may already be doomed to fail.
Scrubs Season 10 Sounds Like It’s Going To Be Worryingly Similar To The Med School Reboot
Scrubs season 9 moved away from the main cast
Speaking withDeadline,Lawrence has declared his intention to combine new and oldScrubscharacters. On paper, it seems like a solid idea after so long off the air. Unfortunately, the show’s maligned final season already followed his formula, and it crashed and burned. Although there was no official reboot,Scrubsseason 9 carried theMed Schoolsubtitle, implying the run was intended to be viewed as a spinoff rather than a direct continuation. This was compounded by the absence or reduced roles of key cast members fromScrubsseasons 1-8. Lawrence doesn’t appear to have learned from these errors.
“We’ve been talking about a lot, and I think the only real reason to do it is a combo,” Lawrence said. “A: people wanting to see what the world of medicine was like for the people they love, which is part of any successful reboot. But B: I think that show always worked because you get to see young people dropped into the world of medicine, knowing young people that go there are super idealistic and are doing it because it’s a calling. There’s no cliché ‘rich doctors playing golf’ — that’s not what it is anymore. So I think that, no matter what it is, it would be a giant mistake not to do as a combo of those two things.”
Scrubs: Med Schoolhad an intriguing premiseas a comedic,ER-style medical show that could have run for years with a revolving door of cast members. Although characters like Dr. Cox and Turk were clearly intended to remain as part of the show’s new framework,Med Schoolfocused far more on new faces like Kerry Bishé’s Lucy Bennett. The new interns and general overhaul of the show at large were very poorly received, so maybe Lawrence has something up his sleeve to make sureScrubsseason 10 doesn’t suffer the same fate.
Hopefully, The Sitcom’s Revival Will Be More Like Scrubs Season 8
Scrubs season 8 used its new characters just the right amount
Although the changes made for theMed Schoolepisodes were a little too extreme for the show’s existing audience,Scrubsseason 8 struck a brilliant balance between new and old faces. Some established characters were missing from someScrubsseason 8 episodes for production reasons, but they still remained at the forefront of the sitcom’s larger narrative. At the same time, a new batch of interns made their way into the cast. Despite the fresh characters having relatively prominent roles, they never overshadowed their more experienced colleagues. Lawrence would do well to repeat this trick inScrubsseason 10.
Scrubsseason 9’s highest-rated episode has anIMDbrating of 6.5/10, whereasScrubsseason 8’s lowest-rated episode scored 7.5/10.
Scrubstechnically has three conclusions, but the season 8 two-parter, “My Finale,” was a clear stopping point for the show. In many ways, the sitcom’s penultimate run seemed to be setting itself up for the future with the new interns while also bringing the story to a close with JD’s exit. However, all the groundwork put in place by the character development of the new interns in season 8 was undone when all but one of them were absent from theMed Schoolepisodes.
With any luck, Lawrence’s approach to bringing younger doctors into the fold is far more similar to the way he did inScrubsseason 8 than it was inMed School.
Eliza Coupe’s Denise “Jo” Mahoney was the only season 8 intern to stay on for season 9, and the fact thatDenise was one of the best parts ofMed Schoolis proof that familiarity with the characters is a huge part of the show’s success. With any luck, Lawrence’s approach to bringing younger doctors into the fold is far more similar to the way he did inScrubsseason 8 than it was inMed School.
A Scrubs Movie Could Focus More On The Original Cast Than A Revival Would
Lawrence’s early Scrubs revival plan could focused much more on established characters
TheScrubsrevival has long been discussed on the show’s official rewatch podcast with Zach Braff and Donald Faison -Fake Doctors, Real Friends. Lawrence has been a guest on the podcast many times, and the reunion between the three men immediately sparked the possibility of aScrubscomeback. The initial plan, no matter how loose - seemed to be for Lawrence to write aScrubsmovie to allow the main cast to come back one more time. Ultimately,the showrunner has decided that bringingScrubsback in its original format is a better idea. Arguably, the alternative was superior.
Scrubs' Revival Already Has Dr. Cox’s Perfect Replacement Ready For When JD Gets His Dream Ending
The Scrubs revival can only really end one way, and when it does, the sitcom already has a contingency in place for when JD settles into his new role.
If a one-offScrubsmovie were produced, the project would have very little responsibility to introduce new characters with any real merit. Instead, the focus would be on what the original cast had been up to since the end of season 9 and where they are now.Med Schoolstands as a testament to the fact that the characters' medical journeys are secondary to how well the viewers know them. So, aScrubsmovie would have the advantage of simply revolving around a feature-length adventure that wouldn’t necessarily have to address the characters' professional careers.
Scrubs
Cast
Scrubs is a Sitcom and Medical Comedy/Drama created by Bill Lawrence that follows a group of medical students throughout their daily lives at the Sacred Heart Teaching Hospital. The series stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison, as they work their way up from Medical Interns while juggling all sorts of hospital shenanigans.
