Cliff Notes – Fans thrilled as ‘one of the best shows of the 2000s’ gets reboot
- Sarah Chalke, Zach Braff, and Donald Faison are confirmed to return for a revival of Scrubs, with other original characters expected to join.
- The reboot will explore the enduring bromance between JD and Turk, while introducing new and returning characters navigating life at Sacred Heart hospital.
- Fans express excitement for the revival, emphasising the need for key original cast members like Dr. Cox and the Janitor to ensure the show’s authentic spirit is maintained.
Fans thrilled as ‘one of the best shows of the 2000s’ gets reboot
Sarah Chalke, Zach Braff and Donald Faison are returning to Scrubs (Picture: NBC/Getty Images)
Fans are getting excited with a classic 2000s sitcom poised for a revival.
For eight years, Scrubs left viewers in stitches following the ridiculous day to day life at Sacred Heart hospital, told from the perspective of Zach Braff’s John Michael ‘JD’ Dorian.
The original show, which ran for eight seasons followed by a less-well-received ninth featuring a new cast of characters, saw JD navigating life as an intern at the facility.
His bromance with Christopher Turk (Donald Faison) was definite goals, Turk’s wife Carla Espinosa (Judy Reyes) was the perfect advisor and friend, and fans loved his flings with Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke).
And who can forget his rivalries with the Janitor (Neil Flynn), Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley) and grumpy chief of medicine Bob Kelso (Ken Jenkins)?
It’s been confirmed that Braff, Faison and Chalke are all returning for a Scrubs revival, and Variety reports that other characters are expected to return.
‘Scrubs means so very much to me. So excited for the chance to get the band back together,’ original series creator Bill Lawrence said in a statement.
And the logline for the reboot teases: ‘JD (Braff) & Turk (Faison) scrub in together for the first time in a long time – medicine has changed, interns have changed, but their bromance has stood the test of time.
‘Characters new and old navigate the waters of Sacred Heart with laughter, heart and some surprises along the way.’
Scrubs was one of the biggest shows of the 2000s (Picture: NBC)
Fans are excited for the comeback (Picture: NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Not surprisingly, fans are excited for the revival, particularly with the beloved trio making their return.
‘Man. Superman, AND I’m no Superman all in the same year. What a time. ♥️,’ wrote @ThatVanguard on X, referencing the show’s beloved theme song.
‘Important news for Millennials of a Certain Age,’ quipped @TheEMart, while @camwoodard called the announcement the ‘best news ever’.
And @stankadin tweeted: ‘Scrubs is one of the top 5 sitcoms all time for me. Cox’s “Buttonless” rant is my favorite. They even did the musical episode trope better than most. Great show.’
More of the original cast are expected to return (Picture: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Fans are adamant Dr. Cox and Janitor need to be part of the revival (Picture: Michael Ansell/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Other fans warned that the reboot needs to get some key things spot on to make sure it’s a success.
‘We need @JohnCMcGinley and Judy back. Can’t have Turk without Carla, can’t have JD without Cox,’ argued @PKWallace.
‘Dr. Cox, The Janitor, and Hooch or it’s not Scrubs,’ @gunnarwb added, while @AGuyWhoTweet5 said: ‘You can’t have Scrubs without Neil and John… John was born to play Cox and he‘s the biggest highlight so he NEEDS to return.’
Scrubs originally got a perfect send-off with the season eight finale, but a ninth series – which was called Scrubs: Med School – attempted to continue the story with a whole new cast of interns.
Scrubs originally ran for nine seasons (Picture: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Fans will hope the revival can match the spirit of the original (Picture: Danny Feld/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
The setting was changed as the show swapped Sacred Heart for Winston University, with Lucy (Kerry Bische) serving as the new narrator.
Turk and Cox were back as teachers, while JD came back for six episodes, but it wasn’t enough.
Back in March 2010, Braff wrote on Facebook: ‘Many of you have asked, so here it is: it appears that “New Scrubs”, “Scrubs 2.0”, “Scrubs with new kids”, “Scrubbier”, “Scrubs without JD” is no more. It was worth a try, but alas… it didn’t work.’
It’s been 15 long years, but fans will hope the new season can capture that early magic and give the show a fitting second wind.
Scrubs is available to stream on Disney+.