TV Revivals: Would a ‘Scrubs’ reunion with Zach Braff be perfect medicine for viewers seeking a laugh?
If there was every a long-running comedy that could be described as a true underdog story, it would be “Scrubs.” It’s a show that was almost canceled multiple times, switched networks, and had to constantly think of new ways to stay alive in the midst of changing airdates and timeslots. It’s also arguably one of the funniest shows ever made. The fact that it was willing to explore dark topics from time to time made the comedy stronger and the characters more relatable, as you understood that these people were human and their jobs were full of failures. (“My Screw Up” and “My Lunch” are two of the strongest episodes of any half-hour show that we’ve ever seen.)
As great as the show was, you can argue that the ending was a little rocky and not exactly what many viewers intended. With that in mind, coupled with the latest craze revolving around TV shows coming back, is it possible that “Scrubs” could come back in some form? That’s the subject of the latest edition of our TV Revivals series.
How it ended – You can argue that the season 8 finale was absolutely beautiful and a perfect series finale; the issue is that this didn’t end up being the end, as the show transitioned into what was effectively a “Med School”-themed spin-off for the final season. J.D. (Zach Braff) only appeared in a handful of episodes, while John C. McGinley and Donald Faison were the only actors from the first eight seasons to appear in a major capacity every week. Lucy (Kerry Bishe) eventually became the narrator with J.D. gone, and we focused on a new crop of students for the most part. (There was a great cast in here, though, in between Bisha, Eliza Coupe, and Dave Franco.)
How to bring it back – Find a way to focus back on what matters: The lives of our main characters. Get J.D. and Turk back working together (complete with an “eagle” or two), have Carla (Judy Reyes) and Elliot (Sarah Chalke) back as major parts of the show, and give us that wonderful combination of zany comedy and heartfelt moments. The show is surrealist in one way, and a classic “Boy Meets World” sort of moralistic sitcom in another. This is one of those revivals where you don’t really have to do much different to bring the show back; just give people more of what they loved the first time.
Will it happen? – As much fun as it would be to get an eight-to-ten episode season highlighting where many of these characters are now (it’s something ABC, who last aired the network, should consider in this climate), there’s no indication that this will happen. Many of the cast members have other TV and movie gigs now, and there hasn’t been an extensive amount of talk about the show coming back. Our personal conclusion is just that after season 9, it would be nice to see the show go back to its roots to give us another dose of the magic. Is that too much to ask? Probably but we can dream.
Should “Scrubs” return in your mind for another season?