Summary

• The Scrubs revival faces several challenges after season 9's failure in 2010.
• Mistakes made with the Scrubs revival could hurt the sitcom's legacy further.
• Bringing back original characters is crucial, and new additions shouldn't overshadow the original Scrubs cast.

With Scrubs' return to TV screens seemingly inevitable, the sitcom has an uphill battle to fight when it comes to restoring its legacy after the failure of its final season. Scrubs season 9 - also known as Scrubs: Med School - made an irable attempt to rework the show's formula in preparation for Zach Braff's eventual departure as the leader of the cast. Unfortunately, the medical sitcom lost its magic due to all the alterations, leading to its cancelation.

The revival has not yet been officially greenlit. However, showrunner all nine seasons of Scrubs were created equal, and the divisive final run sticks out for all the wrong reasons. To avoid making the same mistakes, Lawrence and the rest of the Scrubs cast and crew will need to take several things into to make sure the revival doesn't fail, as season 9 did in 2010.

8 Scrubs Season 10 Needs To Decide How To Handle Sam Lloyd's Death

Lloyd played Ted in all 9 seasons of Scrubs

Sadly, Scrubs season 10 will be missing a key member of the original cast. After Sam Lloyd's untimely ing in 2020, Ted the Lawyer won't be able to appear in the revival. Lloyd's character had an important role in Scrubs, oddly serving as intense comic relief in an already-funny show. On the other hand, he also had a few arcs that showed his heart and his vulnerability - he was a perfect microcosm of Scrubs on the whole. So, the new season needs to make the difficult decision about whether he'll be written out of the show.

One option could be that the writers parallel Sam Lloyd's death by having Ted away offscreen in the years since the show was last on the air.

One option could be that the writers parallel Sam Lloyd's death by having Ted away offscreen in the years since the show was last on the air. Interestingly, there could be another option that's arguably more fitting. After Scrubs ended, Lloyd reprised his role as Ted in another Bill Lawrence show - Cougar Town. The meta tying together of the two shows created some interesting quirks due to other shared actors who were playing new characters. However, Ted seemed settled in his new life down in Florida, so perhaps he stayed there rather than return to the hospital.

7 Ken Jenkins May Not Want To Reprise His Role As Doctor Kelso

Jenkins' last acting credit was in 2019

Bob Kelso was the Chief of Medicine for most of Scrubs' original run. Even when he stepped aside, Jenkins continued to play the retired chief as he lounged about the hospital making full use of his free-muffins-for-life prize. The character would, of course, be a welcome presence in Scrubs season 10, but Jenkins' recent career doesn't bode well for his return in the sitcom's coming revival. In short, it's possible he may just be enjoying retirement.

Jenkins continued to work steadily after Scrubs, and even starred alongside Sam Lloyd in Cougar Town.

Jenkins continued to work steadily after Scrubs, and even starred alongside Sam Lloyd in Cougar Town - although Jenkins' 19 episodes of the other Lawrence sitcom beat Lloyd's three appearances by a long way. Unfortunately, Ken Jenkins' last acting credit comes as Tom in a 2019 movie named Girls Weekend. He hasn't taken a role since. As a man in his 80s, it could be that he's had enough of the limelight. Hopefully, he does come back - even if just for a short cameo. If not, the Scrubs writers will need to formulate an in-universe explanation for Kelso's absence.

6 The Cast & Crew From Scrubs Original Run Are All Very Busy

Bill Lawrence & company need their packed schedules to align

Those who disliked Scrubs season 9 will be anxious for the show's comeback to redeem itself. Having said that, there will be several obstacles the production team will need to overcome for it to happen. One of the biggest roadblocks is the intricate matter of lining up the schedules of everyone involved. The of the original Scrubs cast all continued their successful careers after the show ended, and so did its showrunner. Speaking with Ladbible, Bill Lawrence has confirmed his current workload is part of what's delaying the Scrubs revival.

“So we've been talking a lot about it, and I think we'll figure it out in the next six months or so what we want to do. I'm just busy too, man, in a great way.” - Bill Lawrence.

The harsh truth of the matter is that Scrubs never enjoyed the same level of success as some of its contemporaries - like Friends and How I Met Your Mother. As such, viewers who aren't quite at the level of devoted following as huge Scrubs fans may be intrigued by Bill Lawrence's revival plans. Eventually, that interest will fade if the promise isn't enacted swiftly. If not, then by the time comes that everyone is available to make more episodes of Scrubs, the viewing figures could doom the comeback to a single season before ending again on an unsatisfying note.

Lawrence has been hard at work with Apple TV+ and has served as showrunner for Ted Lasso, Shrinking, and Bad Monkey.

5 Todd's Whole Thing May Be Deemed Inappropriate Nowadays

Todd's rude quips could be poorly received

Rob Maschio's Todd "The Todd" Quinlan was one of the most quotable characters during Scrubs' original run. He'd often only have one or two lines per episode, but they were impossible to forget. The problem is that almost every word out of his mouth was part of an eyebrow-raising innuendo that'd be shocking by today's standards. Bringing Todd back is a must for the Scrubs reunion to feel complete, but the writers will likely need to handle him very differently.

Toning down Maschio's Scrubs character while maintaining his identity could be one of the biggest challenges faced by the sitcom's revival. On the other hand, Lawrence could just choose to risk leaving Todd as he was last seen when the show ended in 2010. If not, it will be a difficult balance to make sure Todd's signature impropriety is somehow still recognizable through the edits.

Maschio last acted in 2015, when he appeared as Peter in Bones season 11, episode 7.

4 The Original Sacred Heart Set Was Demolished In 2011

North Hollywood Medical Center doubled as the hospital in Scrubs

Scrubs seasons 1-8 were shot in a decommissioned hospital, formerly known as the North Hollywood Medical Center. The immersive environment brilliantly sold the illusion of the sitcom's events unfolding in a real medical facility - because, in short, they were. Unfortunately, returning to this set isn't a possibility when Scrubs is revived. Not only did Scrubs season 9 confirm Sacred Heart Hospital was torn down within the world of the show, but the building was demolished in reality as well.

It's possible sets could be constructed to enable flashbacks to the old Sacred Heart.

The old hospital was a huge factor in giving Scrubs its authenticity and charm in a way the sound stages used to shoot season 9 just couldn't recapture. While it's possible sets could be constructed to enable flashbacks to the old Sacred Heart, the reality of the situation is that the revival will likely be set in the new hospital from Scrubs season 9. It's not an ideal scenario, but it's one the show is at least partially responsible for dooming itself to.

3 Scrubs Season 10 Must Come Back Strong After Season 9's Cancelation

The Scrubs revival can't start off slow if it wants to win back fans

Many tuning in to watch Scrubs season 10 will likely be existing fans, ready to forgive the sitcom crashing and burning in 2010. So, the revival will need to come out the gate at full power to give itself the best chance of redemption. Zach Braff has stated a few times on the Fake Doctors, Real Friends rewatch podcast that Scrubs was always a season-by-season renewal, with the cast and crew often unsure whether the show would be picked up for another season. The Scrubs revival probably won't be any different, so there will be very little room for missteps.

During most of the original show, Scrubs would often run for 20+ episodes at a time. It's highly unlikely that will be the case this time around.

There's also the matter of how many episodes Scrubs' new seasons(s) will include. During most of the original show, Scrubs would often run for 20+ episodes at a time. It's highly unlikely that will be the case this time around. This can be ed by Fraser's revival on Paramount+. The original run of Fraser, like Scrubs, would have seasons over 20 episodes long, but its recent comeback season consists of just 10. If Scrubs' revival follows this framework, the reduced episode count needs to essentially be a run of hits to ensure its success.

2 Turk & JD Won't Be Professional Equals Anymore

Turk ended Scrubs season 9 as Chief of Surgery at the new Sacred Heart

One of the most heartwarming aspects of Scrubs' original run was watching Turk and JD rise through the ranks together. The projected endpoint for both characters was often for them to be running Sacred Heart as Chief of Surgery and Chief of Medicine. Turk voices this desire for the two friends in Scrubs season 8, episode 17, "My Chief Concern." When JD tells Turk he plans to leave the hospital, Turk responds with how he thought their immediate future would progress. Scrubs' season 8 finale removed that possibility, but it was so beautifully done, it didn't matter.

Turk: I'm the new Chief of Surgery, and y'know, you're Doctor Cox's number two guy. I thought eventually, we'd be running this place together.

JD: [Internally] How cool would that be?

- Scrubs season 8, episode 7, "My Chief Concern."

When JD returns in season 9, it's only as a visitor. If the coming revival has Turk and JD working together again, then Turk will be far more senior than JD at their place of employment. Dr. Cox will likely still be the Chief of Medicine, leaving JD to return to his previous role that was once filled by Cox. This could lead to an unusual power dynamic between Turk and JD, which would be difficult to watch. Hopefully, Scrubs season 10 finds a way to level out the relationship again.

1 The Scrubs Revival's New Characters Can't Overshadow The Original Cast

Established Scrubs characters must be the focus

Showrunner Bill Lawrence has spoken about bringing younger characters into the mix to augment the original cast, highlighting what it means to be a doctor in the modern age and how it compares to the sitcom's initial era. This is a compelling idea, but it also risks repeating one of the biggest downsides of Scrubs season 9. In the Med School episodes, the original Scrubs cast took a reduced role as the new crop of interns stepped into focus. It was an interesting move, but ultimately one that didn't work.

If Lawrence does follow through on his plan to introduce younger doctors, he needs to make sure that established characters from the original run, like JD, Turk, Carla, and Elliot, all remain at the heart of the story. An additional challenge could also be what to do with the characters who debuted in season 9. If they're included as well, the Scrubs revival could quickly become overpopulated and suffer as a result.

Source: Ladbible