Scrubs Revival In The Works?
Is it coming back?
The long-awaited, long-rumored Scrubs reunion that everyone has been hoping for might actually happen soon. On Sunday, the ATX TV Festival in Austin, Texas hosted a reunion panel with the cast and creator of the fan-favorite TV series, and all in attendance made it clear they were ready to sign on for more laughs from the staff at Sacred Heart Hospital. According to a report from Variety, whose TV Editor Michael Schneider hosted the panel, there’s only one obstacle holding a reboot back: scheduling. Although video from the panel is not yet available, The Today Show did get the cast together at the event to reminisce.
It’s been more than a decade since Scrubs signed off with its final episode, but fans have been actively campaigning for a reunion or reboot ever since. Back in April, Emmy-nominated actor Zach Braff, who played Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian in the series, discussed the possibility of a revival of some sort, including his hilarious idea that could form the basis of a reunion. “My dream is that, somehow, they come into some money and they finally get a chance to execute their lifelong dream of being independent filmmakers and making the ‘Dr. Acula’ Dracula movie.,” Braff said in an interview, referring to a long-running joke from the series that fans are sure to remember. Regardless of the plot, it seems a Scrubs reunion is inevitable. “We’re going to do it,” creator and showrunner Bill Lawrence said at the ATX TV Festival panel. “If you’re ever lucky enough to work again with people you enjoy, run to it,” he said.
The panel featured not only Lawrence and Zach Braff, cast members Donald Faison (urk), Sarah Chalke (Elliot), John C. McGinley (Dr. Cox), Judy Reyes (Carla), and Neil Flynn (the Janitor) were also in attendance. They made clear their affection for their time on the show, and their willingness to sign on for a Scrubs reunion. The only thing stopping them is the availability of creator Bill Lawrence. All of the cast members agreed that a revival needs Lawrence on board, to ensure the same humor that made the original series a hit carries over to the reunion.
However, Bill Lawrence is currently working as an executive producer on the AppleTV+ smash hit Ted Lasso, which has won seven Primetime Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy (Jason Sudekis), and is currently prepping a new season. He also has no less than four potential new series in the works, so scheduling is a problem. “This dude’s never going to be free again,” Braff said of Lawrence. “It can’t be a full season of a show,” Faison said of the scheduling issues. “It would have to be a movie or something like that, where you could only give a couple of months to it. Everyone is doing things.”
Scrubs ran for nine seasons, from 2001 to 2010, and the show still remains popular, thanks to streaming services. The entire series is available to watch now on Amazon Prime, and Hulu has the first season available to watch. The talk of a possible reunion intensified after a T-Mobile commercial featuring Braff and Faison aired during the Super Bowl, reminding everyone of their hilarious chemistry and getting fans riled up to get the gang back together. Braff and Faison are good friends to this day, and even host the podcast “Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald” together.
Bill Lawrence, however, isn’t worrying about schedules. He’s confident that the reunion will happen soon. “We’re gonna do it because we’re lucky enough that people care,” Lawrence said at the panel. “Top to bottom, we enjoy spending time with each other.… It’s worth it to me to see Neil back in that jumpsuit again.” Lawrence also noted that the show’s appeal gives them the opportunity to hang out together for events like the ATX TV Festival, making a reunion an inevitability.
