Scrubs Returns: A New Chapter
After 15 years, Scrubs is making a comeback on ABC, despite not initially airing. Bill Lawrence, the show’s creator, along with showrunner Aseem Batra, believes it’s the right moment to revisit these beloved characters.
In a chat with DECIDER about the revival, Lawrence expressed his enthusiasm for bringing back JD (Zach Braff), Elliot (Sarah Chalke), and Turk (Donald Faison) to reconnect with the doctors fans adored back in 2001.
For them, it wasn’t really about “if” they would do it, but “when.” They needed the right narrative, and Lawrence appreciates the collaborative effort among the producers to achieve that. “I always thought it would be great to see students become teachers creatively, and Aseem pitched that in a really nice way,” he said. He added that their bond remains strong, explaining, “We all really like each other. The only reason it hasn’t happened before is that they’re so talented and they’re always working. It’s not like everyone’s saying, ‘I need a job.’”
Batra, who was a writer on the original series, noted the chance to honor the original while expanding the story. He thinks it’s fascinating to find humor as the characters navigate this new stage in their lives. Just because someone gets older doesn’t automatically mean they’ve got it all figured out.
“Even though it ended like this, I think it was a perfect time in some ways. When we started, they were in their early adulthood, asking questions like, ‘What’s my life going to be like? Am I going to land my dream job?’ Now they’re approaching middle age,” the showrunner explained.
She also mentioned, “But they’re still searching for something. Not everything went as they planned. They’re looking for meaning, and even if it seemed right, it feels inevitable now, at least to me.”
This theme becomes even more pronounced as the revival kicks off with JD and Elliot divorcing, Dr. Cox retiring and leaving Sacred Heart to JD, and Turk, who faced few mental health issues before, now grappling with burnout after years in surgery.
All these characters have made significant sacrifices, setting the stage for the writers to recapture the bittersweet essence that the show originally mastered. The earlier seasons balanced humor with heartfelt moments, and Batra and Lawrence are looking forward to seeing how the trio adapts to being back in the hospital.
Apart from the story aspects, Lawrence mentioned it seemed almost “crazy” not to reunite the cast, especially considering how little free time they all have these days. “I thought it would be fun to finally get the band back together when we all finally have some free time. It’s a bit selfish, but if you have the chance to work with your friends, why wouldn’t you?” he joked. “At this point, the result doesn’t matter because I was just so happy to be back in that community.”
The first two episodes of Scrubs are now available on Hulu, with new episodes airing on ABC every Wednesday at 8 PM and streaming the following day.
