‘Scrubs’ revival brings back the old goofy gang, but now they're, gulp, in charge

Early successful nan first section of nan “Scrubs” revival, Dr. John Dorian jumps onto Dr. Christopher Turk for a piggyback thrust down nan corridor of Sacred Heart Hospital for illustration nothing's changed successful complete a decade. But a batch has.

For one, Turk, now a begetter of four, suffers from sciatica, cutting nan tomfoolery short arsenic they tumble to nan ground. And, two, Dorian needs reference glasses. Turns retired plentifulness has changed successful nan 17 years since “Scrubs” past ended its run.

“They’re still 12 years aged each clip they’re together, but they’re besides still some starring very big, responsible big lives,” says Bill Lawrence, nan show's creator who has returned for nan revival. “It conscionable felt for illustration it was clip to revisit nan aged gang.”

“Scrubs” — whose first 2 episodes premiere back-to-back Wednesday connected ABC and watercourse adjacent time connected Hulu — picks up pinch nan aforesaid characters each these years later, but this time, successful summation to immoderate beingness deterioration and tear, nan one-time interns are nan teachers to a group of rookie doctors.

“We were caller and we were frightened arsenic interns and frightened successful this caller constituent of medicine and insecure and unsure of what we were doing,” says Sarah Chalke, who plays Dr. Elliot Reid. “So to get to travel back, we really person grown and really go awesome leaders and awesome teachers.”

Back to reality for “Scrubs”

The revival retains Lawrence’s sound for “Scrubs” — popular culture-hyper-aware and surreal but ever pinch sentiment. The formed admits nan show became a small excessively cartoonish successful later seasons, pinch an ostrich wearing a Kangol chapeau and J.D. stuffed into a backpack to sneak into a movie theater.

“Bill Lawrence would beryllium nan first to opportunity that what he really wanted to do was benignant of crushed it again and commencement backmost pinch nan based-in-reality point that we had successful nan first mates years of nan show,” says Zach Braff, who plays Dr. Dorian. “We still person a operation of play and comedy, but reset to based wholly successful reality.”

One point that had to alteration was Dr. Perry Cox, nan caput of medicine played by John C. McGinley pinch stone-faced rage and fiery contempt. Back successful nan aged days, he could humiliate and berate his interns.

That won't alert successful 2026: “I can’t activity them crazy hours aliases moreover maltreatment them anymore,” Cox complains successful nan revival, calling nan caller interns “fragile small Christmas ornaments.” One of nan caller interns says to him: “You’re giving mean shot coach vibes.”

Lawrence successful anticipation of nan relaunch consulted aesculapian residents to find retired really hospitals and medicine had changed complete nan years and was told that administrators would person nary patience pinch a sadistic Cox successful 2026.

"All nan residents we talked astir told america that Dr. Cox would beryllium fired instantly nowadays,” says Lawrence. He besides added Vanessa Bayer to nan cast, playing an HR serviceman speedy to propose sensitivity training.

The 2nd shape of life

The first 7 seasons of “Scrubs” primitively aired connected NBC, but aft Season 7 — which was shortened owed to a writers onslaught — nan bid moved to ABC for Season 8. A ninth play pinch J.D., Turk, and Cox was called “Scrubs: Med School.”

Braff and Faison — existent friends offscreen — kept nan show successful fans' minds pinch a drawstring of T-Mobile commercials and a podcast that explored nan episodes, Fake Doctors, Real Friends.

The extremity of Season 8 — nan pursuing play is not considered "Scrubs” cannon — had J.D. having each his fantasies travel existent — marrying Elliot, having children and keeping up his relationship pinch Turk, who is joined to caput caregiver Carla. That neat front had to beryllium jettisoned for 2026.

“We knew from nan commencement that we couldn’t unrecorded successful a world that each of his fantasies had travel true,” says Lawrence. “Life throws you immoderate blows and throws you to immoderate victories. You drift from group you attraction about. Sometimes your world gets smaller. Sometimes things get harder and location still person to beryllium mountains to overcome. So we really wanted to thematically show that travel of what nan 2nd shape of life looks like.”

The cardinal bromance of “Scrubs”

Central to nan occurrence of “Scrubs” is nan bromance betwixt J.D. and Turk, which doesn’t extremity erstwhile nan cameras are turned off. The revival arrives arsenic nan taxable of antheral loneliness and relationship is being debated.

“It’s a half hr comedy, but it takes caput connected nan thought of nan joyousness that you tin still find successful being silly and having emotion successful your life that isn’t conscionable your romanticist emotion — nan joyousness and emotion you person pinch your friends arsenic a man successful 2026,” says Braff.

Faison adds: “I worth my friendship. I don’t person galore of them, but he's nan 1 relationship that I do person that I cognize I tin count on, astatine slightest correct now. Maybe successful 10 years, he mightiness alteration his mind connected really he feels astir me.”

"We’ll spot really you behave,” Braff jokes.

Lawrence says he often writes astir antheral friendships because he grew up successful a family that wasn't very demonstrative emotionally. His different existent titles see “Shrinking” and “Ted Lasso,” which besides research bonding and mentoring.

“I started very young penning astir friendships and, possibly connected immoderate level, nan wish fulfillment of really individual I genuinely hoped they could be,” he says. “I crave those friendships and I craved that mentorship truthful I possibly constitute astir them excessively much.”