“We’re going to do it because we’re lucky enough people care,” Lawrence said about a potential revival of his long-running medical sitcom.
After spanning eight seasons, two networks, and a ninth season subtitled “Med School,” there still may be more “Scrubs” on the way.
On Sunday morning, much of the cast as well as the creator, Bill Lawrence, gathered for a reunion panel at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, TX. Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, John C. McGinley, Judy Reyes, and Neil Flynn took the stage to remember their long-running comedy, and, as these things tend to do, attention eventually turned toward a possible reboot involving the original cast and crew.
“I think we all kinda want it,” Faison said. “We would all love to work together again. It’s just really hard. It can’t be a full season of a show. It would have to be a movie or something. […] This dude [Bill Lawrence] is never going to be free again.”
Lawrence is currently the showrunner on “Ted Lasso,” which is preparing its third season for Apple TV+, and he’s also working on the “Clone High” revival. In February, he signed a new overall deal with Warner Bros. TV, after announcing two new shows in development at Apple: “Bad Monkey” starring Vince Vaughn and “Shrinking” with Jason Segel.
“We can’t possibly do anything without the wunderkind here,” Zach Braff said about a potential revival. “But if he finds the time, [we would, too.]”
“We’re gonna do it,” Flynn said, to applause from the packed Paramount Theater crowd.
“We’re going to do it because we’re lucky enough people care,” Lawrence said. “If you’re lucky enough to be able to work with the people you love, run to it.”
The cast and creator were clear that nothing formal is in the works. “Scrubs” last aired in 2010, won two Emmys, and was twice nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series. The series is available to stream in full on Hulu, which was oft-encouraged during the 90-minute panel discussion moderated by Variety’s Michael Schneider.
“We all thought we were going to be canceled after one year,” Lawrence said, citing network executives’ skepticism over the comedy’s third episode, which was framed around a statistic that one in three patients admitted to a hospital will die there.
“I had to tell the network that the gut punch at the end was all three die,” he said. Their response? “‘Can just one of them die?’ And I said, no, they all have to die. ‘Can they all be kinda racist so we’re happy they die?’ No, no.”
But the mix of humor and heart proved a hit with audiences and went on to win a Peabody Award. The cast remained close in the years since it ended, including a late-night dinner in Austin preceding Sunday morning’s reunion.
“It’s so special,” Chalke said. “We were talking last night about how we’re all still chasing it [in our other work.] It’s hard to replicate that experience.”
“Scrubs” has endured with fans, as well. Braff and Faison host a podcast where they recap episodes and invite guests, including Lawrence, McGinley, and more, to join them for certain episodes. For Reyes, the podcast has proven particularly rewarding.
“Because of that podcast, my kids started watching ‘Scrubs,’” she said. “And they like it. I’m cool now.”
“Scrubs” is available to stream on Hulu.
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