I finally got a chance to speak with Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence yesterday, and, as you'd expect, he had plenty to say about departing NBC. In addition to the circumstances behind the show's move from NBC to ABC, Lawrence also talked about NBC's treatment of the show and why he thinks it stuck around for so long, despite that treatment.But he also dropped a bit of a bomb: next season may not be the show's final season. And if there is ninth season of Scrubs, it likely will continue without him or Zach Braff on board.
More after the jump.
Bill told me that he met with ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson, who initially championed the show when he worked for the network's production arm (ABC Studios produces Scrubs), before the network finalized the pickup. McPherson told him that not only did he want the show to get back to what it did best in its earliest seasons, which mixed comedy and drama, but that he didn't necessarily pick up the show for just the one season:
"He said to me, 'If I go forward with this, you have to know that if the show does well and I'm enjoying it, no matter what you want, I have the right to move on with the show past this year,'" Lawrence recalls. "I tell you that, even if it were to happen, it would be in a different incarnation than what it is now. One of the things that's appealing to Steve is that when he first pitched it with me to all these other networks, he pitched it as 'ER as a comedy.' It'd be very easy to rotate faces in and out and have new dynamics and new worlds under the same umbrella. It's a working hospital. It's not like Grey's Anatomy, where we're tracking the relationships that much."
As far as how the show would look in a ninth season, Lawrence said that "barring some weird miracle," Zach Braff is done with the show after season eight, since his contract runs out at the end of it. But he can't see himself returning for a ninth year, either. "I would imagine it's my last year of the show. And so I'm going to write it as such (like it's the last season) and he's going to act it as such."
So those new actors, including Human Giant's Aziz Ansari, that were brought on as new interns? They'll be the basis of any new seasons after the eighth, setting up a Scrubs: The Next Generation of sorts. "They have to go through the same type of shit that these people went through long ago. It'll be interesting to tell the same stories with our older characters on the other side of them now." Some faces from the original cast may return, but not all will.
Interesting. This could work, or it could limp along like ER has since Clooney, Edwards, and Margulies left. Or it could be AfterMASH-style disaster. We just don't know.
What do you think of a possible "next generation" season of Scrubs? Let me know in the comments.
Oh, and the rest of the interview will be posted either tomorrow or Thursday.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-20-2008 @ 10:56AM
Derek said...
I've said it many times on these forums. It's all about the writing and the actors performances. If the new characters have funny things to say and the actors have good comedy timing and are likeable, then why shouldn't it continue. It would be more like a spin-off than a continuation though. I continue to watch it still because I'm used to the characters and they are still funny. It doesn't have to be as good as season 1 or 2, and it doesn't have to be better than . It maintains it's season pass on my TiVo and gets viewed.
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7-03-2008 @ 11:31AM
Tony D. said...
Without Zach Braff, the show can't go on because Scrubs is based on J.D.'s life and if that changes, Scrubs is never going to be the same again. Also, the true fans can not adjust to this "new" Scrubs without Zach and other main characters because of how "close" or "connected they feel to them. It would be a totally different show and should be called something else.
5-20-2008 @ 11:27AM
Ed said...
I dropped the show during season 4, as it began to become more ludicrous and less funny (discovering Arrested Development didn't help either - that show ruined 9/10s of other shows for me, and still does to this day).
But I'm becoming intrigued by the idea of it getting back to it's roots, and I can see myself tuning in for next season... After that, if it's got legs, let them run. If not, then at least make next season the perfect conclusion to a show which was great, certainly in it's early days.
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5-20-2008 @ 11:46AM
Dave said...
The season 8 finale will involve JD, water skis, and a shark...
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5-20-2008 @ 11:57AM
Basketcase456 said...
I think we will have to join JD as part of the "Waitnsee" tribe for this one. Being that there will be a few changes to the show in this coming season, it will be hard to tell if it will work like ER has sorta worked, or if it will fall apart. Assuming the majority of the original actors stay on for 9th season. A Scrubs: TNG, could not work if it would start the next season later, with no original cast members because there will be no invested viewer/character relationships and no longing for a revival for the series like we saw after Star Trek was off the air for 20 years.
In short, it really all depends on just how the show turns out next year.
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5-20-2008 @ 12:41PM
Diego M said...
I don't know about this. I love scrubs, while arrested development was great, it's not better than scrubs. equal to scrubs, but scrubs lasted twice as long so Scrubs wins.
Cox, Turk, Carla, Janitor, Ted and some minor charact-ers should all stay.
J.D. and elliot would probably leave as they get married or something.
it'll be interesting. I hope it does well in ABC so i can get- some closure on th-e show if it- doesn't -come back for a 9th season
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5-20-2008 @ 1:01PM
Julie said...
What the hell are they doing? I'd like to have a ninth season, but a ninth season of Scrubs - not a new hospital comedy with the same creator and writers. I couldn't watch it with a new useless intern instead of JD... So please Bill, if you can't keep the same actors let the show end with season eight. I don't want to see Scrubs spoiled!
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5-20-2008 @ 1:34PM
Amanda said...
May I suggest just a janitor spin-off. Or at least an infomercial where he sells his great inventions like the knife-wrench...
I love Scrubs very much and I am ecstatic that ABC is giving it the proper finale (even if only to this story) that it deserves!
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5-20-2008 @ 2:03PM
Oreo said...
They should just end the show, and then do a true spinoff.
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5-20-2008 @ 2:06PM
Jordan Running said...
Wasn't Lawrence saying before the current seasons that he wanted the show to "get back to what it did best in its earliest seasons"? Or was that two seasons ago? Three?
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5-20-2008 @ 2:50PM
Scott said...
I think we have my "Put Me Out of My Misery" award nominee right here. I was with the show for about 4 seasons. Then it got really "wacky" and I gave up. I can't believe it's still on the air.
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5-20-2008 @ 3:00PM
owl said...
Personally, I have always felt that "JD" was the weakest, least interesting character. New faces/writing could easily revive the show. Time will tell.
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5-20-2008 @ 2:58PM
Wii60 said...
No! This was perfect!
They got 18 new eps to wrap the show up with. They need to finish production so Sarah Chalke can become a regular on How I Met Your Mother.
I love Scrubs, and the supporting cast is phenomenal, but JD is the show, hands down.
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5-22-2008 @ 3:58AM
Motrin said...
JD's my favorite character, but I'll still give Scrubs season nine a shot if it makes it there, since I worship this show.
Yes, season 1 was the best, and 1-4 were the high points of the show, but it still thrills me to the depths of my being when a new episode's about to come on.
I'll be sad if there's no JD, though!
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5-24-2008 @ 10:58AM
Mandev Kaley said...
i think it would be really gd if they were 2 start scrubs again with new interns and have the existing characters still on the show, but the action focused mainly on the new characters
i think it would be original and bringing in new characters will keep the show fresh
Luv the show
shame bout season 6+7 tho
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5-28-2008 @ 10:27PM
G-Rant said...
I personally am grateful that ABC has decided to finish the show up for all of the fans. I hate it when a show goes off air before there is an official final. Firefly on FOX did that and i was devistated because i loved that show with a passion. I dont know how i feel about a spin off without JD and other characters. I like the idea of new characters but the writers should find a way to keep the original cast in the show if only for short appearences.
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8-11-2008 @ 12:48PM
Holly said...
I agree with you. I would like to see more seasons with the same original cast, but if not, seeing the storyline from a different perspective and generation might be pretty cool.
I'm glad that ABC's picking up Scrubs- at least the show can end now. NBC didn't give the show justice, and I thought they treated the last season of scrubs horribly- barely any advertisements, they aired them out of order, changing show times, etc. So now that ABC has the show, the eighth seison should turn out pretty well. The ninth, however, I have some doubts. But I'm eager to see how well it does anyways.
And FOX always gets rid of the best shows. I absolutely loved Firefly- and was really upset when they just ended the show mid-season. At least the spinoff movie, Serenity, was able to give it some closure, though I must say it didn't do the show justice. I still enjoy an old episode whenever I have the first season DVD laying around. Ahh, the good old days :)
6-01-2008 @ 8:15PM
Alex0708 said...
I don't think that Scrubs will be Scrubs without the acting of Zach Braff. His character is what makes the show great. However, if they want to end it after 8 seasons, they should do it once and for all. Let JD and Elliot come back once and for all, and create some comedy in between... and seal the deal. I will be the first to stop watching the show if it goes to 9th season with Zach Braff. I also have heard that some of the cast wants to move on. For example, Sarah Chalke has appeared on HIMYM and would likely be on there for a bit
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6-15-2008 @ 6:21AM
Michael said...
One idea that I haven't seen touched on. A spin off of Scrubs. This would show Dr.Cox as an intern with a younger bob kelso as well. Show how Cox came to be as he is. Just a thought. Dr Cox is hilarious.
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7-09-2008 @ 2:49PM
Evan said...
Well really guys wouldn't you like it if it kept going with Zach Braff?
I know I would, I loved Scrubs, so in my opinoin they should keep going, but not without Zach.
If they don't use Zach Braff then they should at least get him to be there for another Finale because I hated the Finale, it didn't even seem like a Finale.
From an upset Scrubs Fan PLEASE KEEP GOING.
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