Some shows, like wine, simply get better with age. Twenty years since its first episode premiered, theBill Lawrence-created sitcom,Scrubs, can still pride itself as being an enjoyable watch. The series' finale aired nearly a decade and a half ago, and in an era of reboots, there have been hopes for one. As will certainly impress many fans, aScrubsreboot is officially in the works, with its original creator attached. In the years that followedScrubs' end, Lawrence has developed other noteworthy shows likeTed Lasso,Shrinking,andBad Monkey,all for Apple TV+. Now, Lawrence has made a pledge to fans looking forward to the reboot’s premiere.
While speaking in an interview with theLos Angeles Times, series creator Lawrence first discussed what his intentions were when conversations surrounding a reboot were had.
“If I thought it was a bad idea, I wouldn’t do it.I’m not chasing commerce and, without being self-aggrandizing, I don’t need to. Creatively, if somebody said, ‘Do you want to pickScrubsup right back in the same hospital with the same people on a normal day, everything’s back to normal?' No, that would be disingenuous to the story."
Now, speaking on what fans might expect from the reboot, Lawrence added, the series is“not going to be a mailed-in cash grab.There will be a bunch of the originalScrubswriters on the show; there will also be a bunch of new writers.”
Why Wouldn’t You Want a Reboot?
Lawrence will begin writing the reboot sometime in the new year, and a deal with a showrunner “is being made as we speak, but as soon as that’s done, we’ll start.” The series creator goes on to add that he is aware that there are certain quarters of theScrubsfanbase who are not entirelythrilled about the reboot. However, Lawrence does not share their skepticism anymore. He adds:
“I don’t think that’s true. Shows that I care about have had reboots. This is my attitude:If it’s a show I love, I’m gonna watch it.If it’s great, I’m gonna be super happy. If it’s good, whatever, at least it didn’t offend me. And if it sucks, I’m gonna be super happy to badmouth how much it sucks to my friends. Not on the internet. But that’s how I watch TV.To me, that’s a no-lose. What’s the big deal?”
Airing from 2001 to 2010,Scrubswas set in the fictional Sacred Heart Hospital and chronicled the stories of some of the hospital’s young interns. The series starredZach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, John C. McGinley,andJudy Reyes.While the upcoming reboot does not have a script yet, Lawrence told Collider’sChristina Radish, that he had a clear picture ofwhere the reboot’s story leads, saying:
“With the creative side,the show’s not going to pick up a day later. It can’t. I’m interested in where these characters are, that many years later. I always remember the finale ofScrubs, in Season 8, with J.D. saying he has a dream of how things would go and, ‘Tell me my fantasies won’t come true, just this once.’ I never said that’s what happened. I’m interested, not only creatively, in where they’d be now and who they are, but also under the umbrella of what’s happened to the medical world and how that looks now. And one step past that,I love stories where the students become the teachers, and that would be what has to happen in this type of world.”
Stay tuned to Collider for more information about theScrubsreboot and stream the original series now on Peacock
In the unreal world of Sacred Heart Hospital, intern John “J.D.” Dorian learns the ways of medicine, friendship and life.
