Zach Braff thinks a Scrubs movie will eventually happen one day. Created by Bill Lawrence, Scrubs was a comedy that centered around a group of employees at the fictional Sacred Heart Hospital. Braff portrayed John Dorian, the show’s lead character and main narrator. In the initial seasons, Dorian begins as a staff intern and slowly evolves in his career and personal life over the course of the series. Braff was joined in the cast by Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, Neil Flynn, Ken Jenkins, John C. McGinley, and Judy Reyes.
Scrubs was heavily praised by critics, many of whom lauded the fact that the show successfully toggled between slapstick comedy and heartfelt drama. The series was also noted for its clever use of recurring characters and special celebrity guests. Scrubs had a very accomplished run overall. In spite of fairly unimpressive ratings, outside of the comedy’s buzzy second season, it was on the air for almost a decade. Over the course of nine years, Scrubs weathered the 2007 writer’s strike and even a late switch from NBC to ABC. While not having the cultural dominance of comedies like Friends and Seinfeld, the show is still enjoyed on streaming platforms and its unheralded legacy is often cited by pop culture analysts.
Recently, as part of the Fake Doctors, Real Friends podcast, which is hosted by Braff and Faison, the co-stars discussed the possibility of a Scrubs movie. This was spurred on by a discussion of Psych. Braff pointed out that the USA Network detective series has had success with continuations like Psych: The Movie and the upcoming Psych 2: Lassie Comes Home. Braff added that they’d have to get Disney onboard, given that it’s the parent company of ABC, but otherwise seemed fairly certain of the project’s likelihood. You can read Braff’s comments below.
“It would be fun. I think it would be fun for us to all do something like that. We just have to get Disney to be into it and Bill Lawrence to be into it. I think it will happen; the fans seem to really want it to happen.”
This isn’t the first time Braff and Faison have mused about revisiting Scrubs, which isn’t surprising considering how reboots and revivals are growing increasingly more common. Scrubs has already attempted something of a continuation, however. The last episode of season 8, titled “My Finale,” was intended to be a conclusion. Later, when the show was picked up for another season, the series shifted to focus on a new group of interns. John’s narration of Scrubs was handed off to another character, with the previous main cast appearing only in guest roles.
If a movie of Scrubs were to happen, it would be different since the original characters would be fully present. It’s understandable that Braff would be excited to step back into the role that made him famous and work with the people he’s known for so long. But, on the other hand, a haphazardly produced followup might diminish the series in the eyes of many. As it stands, Scrubs can be rewatched by its fans at any time. For the most past, it still holds up quite well.
Source: Fake Doctors, Real Friends