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[Thisstorycontainsspoilersforthefirsttwoepisodesoftheseries[ThisstorycontainsspoilersforthefirsttwoepisodesoftheScrubs Revival on ABC.]
It’s been nearly 25 years since then Scrubs Its first episode has aired, and the revival of the hospital comedy that premiered on ABC Wednesday is frank about acknowledging that it’s been such a long time coming. J.D. (Zach Braff), Turk (Donald Faison) and Elliot (Sarah Chalke) are all older and more experienced, and their relationships have changed – and in some cases even broken down.
Where they were trainees when the show began, the returning characters are now teachers. Turk is the chief of surgery at Sacred Heart Hospital, and J.D. returns as chief of medicine in Wednesday’s premiere. Elliot also holds a senior position at the hospital.
But still Scrubsmeaning the show still features J.D.’s voice-over narration and cuts to his daydreams, Turk still dances in the hallway, and Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) delivers a series of rapid-fire crackdowns targeting the intern. Oh, J.D. and Turk, upon seeing each other again, still do their “Eagle” part – only to collapse due to Turk’s sciatica. Again, time has passed.
“When we were discussing what the initial thing was going to be, you could still have fun with that silliness, because this is real and true to life for me and Donald,” Braff said. Hollywood Reporter. “But then, if we keep it down to earth, how do we show that these guys are the chief of surgery and the chief of medicine at a teaching hospital where they need to be great teachers? I was interested in that — the combination of having fun with your friend but also being able to turn into a great teacher.”
Another possibly sobering fact: J.D. and Elliot, who ended the show’s eighth season as a couple after years of an on-and-off relationship (the new show more or less skips the semi-episodic medical school-focused ninth season of the original series), are now divorced. Showrunner Aseem Batra said that this idea became fodder for many “interesting discussions” in the writers’ room — including convincing series creator Bill Lawrence that it was the right move.
“He didn’t like it at first. ‘But it’s J.D. and Elliot,'” Batra said of Lawrence’s initial reaction. “But after thinking about it for a moment, he said, ‘Yes, you’re right. We would have gotten a lot of stories out of them not being together.’ It also tracks how we saw them in the first iteration of Scrubswhere they were kind of all over the place with each other. It also just tracks the health of life and how things are going.
Braff and Chalke were also on board with the idea, noting that the conflict in their relationship throughout the show’s original run had resulted in some of their best work. “We didn’t want to lose that, because Sarah and I love playing with each other,” Braff said. “[JD and Elliot] Just being okay, I think it would be boring.
“Absolutely,” Chalk added. “And then it gives them the opportunity to do that [explore] What’s it like for them to be co-parents, what’s it like for them to end up working together at the same hospital again, and what about when they start dating? How does the other person feel about it? “It was more fun.”
Love isn’t quite dead in Sacred Heart, however: Turk and nurse Carla Espinosa (Jodi Reyes) are still married and have four daughters together. Reyes, who is a regular on other ABC series, High potentialhas a recurring role in Scrubs It will be in a handful of episodes of the season. Another returning core cast member, McGinley, may not do so, as Dr. Cox tells J.D. that he will retire and pass the Chief of Medicine job to him (much to the dismay of Joel Kim Booster’s Dr. Eric Park, who seemed to be in line for the position).
Scrubs Its first eight seasons were filmed in a decommissioned hospital in the San Fernando Valley. That building was demolished in 2011, and the new season was filmed on soundstages in Vancouver – but with the old sets meticulously recreated.
“[Production designer] “Cabot McMullen took all his blueprints and shipped them to Vancouver, and on a 20,000-square-foot stage, which is very large, they rebuilt it down to the texture of the paint and tile, the feel and look of the hospital. It was amazing,” McGinley said.
Reyes said it was almost “weird” how identical the new sets were to the previous sets, to the point that she would get lost in the sets thinking they were laid out similarly to the original setting. “It was weird being in space, but it puts everything in context for you.”
Lawrence is the executive producer of the series, but was not the showrunner due to contractual matters: he has an overall deal with Warner Bros. TV – and many other ongoing series, including Apple TV. Shrink and Ted Lasso And the upcoming HBO Rooster -And Scrubs Produced by Disney Television 20th.
“I’m not a big therapy guy, but I talked to a therapist [about] “How it makes me crazy because I can’t micromanage and control every aspect of it,” Lawrence said. THR. “But that’s not how it is. There are original writers. There are original writers.” [working on this version] Who knew me when I was a kid and does this, so I feel safe. But they’re also kind enough to let me participate. I worked really hard on the pilot, and I’ve been working with Zach on a lot of the cuts, and I’m very excited to see what this stuff has become.
However, Lawrence jokes, “If I didn’t have other offers, I’m pretty sure I would be wearing a dress.” Mission: impossible Mask and try to work the show without getting caught.
Batra’s first job was as a television writer Scrubs (She also played the intern in a few episodes), and she said it was “surreal” to return as a showrunner in the revival. “If I thought about it too hard, I would probably have a panic attack and not be able to do it. So we just started with it,” she told THR. “And you realize that all those hours you spend in TV make a difference, and then when you get into it, you’re ready to go. That doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges, but I think there is a willingness. I’m glad we’re doing this now and not like it was five years ago. Every year I’ve been working has helped me be ready for it.”
