My Two-Cents on Scrubs 2.0

It was announced today by Entertainment Weekly, that the upcoming 9th season will be drastically different than the previous 8. The biggest change revolves around the setting of the show because season 9 will be taking place in the classroom versus the hospital.

The concept is Dr. Cox and Dr. Turk will be professors to a new batch of med students, but they will not be washing their hands of Sacred Heart altogether since the students will be spending time in the halls of our favorite hospital. This move allows past regulars to make cameo appearances without them sticking out.

Now, I have always been skeptical about season 9 of Scrubs because I felt that it is unnecessary. Bill Lawrence and Co. were able to get their act together and give us a great season 8 on par with earlier outings, and it almost took the bad taste out of my mouth that was left by seasons 4-6 (7 was on route to being good but of course the strike had to happen). "My Finale" is still one of the best episodes ever, and no matter what they say it will be ruined by this new season.

Unfortunately, this new idea hasn't convinced me to be back on the Scrubs bandwagon just yet. Sure, it will give the show a new direction, essentially rebooting the franchise to account for a lot less JD, but it just doesn't feel quite right. Dr. Cox & Dr. Turk have always excelled at being teachers in the hospital, and seeing them in lecture halls is going to take some getting used to.

Also, it sounds like there are going to be new "newbies" which kind of upsets me because I actually liked most of the new interns, and now we have to get used to a whole new batch of characters. I'm sure we'll be seeing Sonny, Denise, & Katie when the action moves to Sacred Heart, but there were still a lot of good stories that could have surrounded the season 8 interns.

The only bright spot is the idea that a big name might be cast as a med student. After seeing Alexis Bledel play a doctor on ER, I'd kind of like to see her in the Scrubs universe. She's proven that she can do comedy and drama, and she looks good in a white coat. I'm sure that's a long shot, but her being added to the cast might be the only thing that saves the show for me.

Now, I've been very negative about this news, but to be honest I'm going to watch season 9 because at the end of the day I'm a fan. Sure, I might not agree with Bill Lawrence's decision to keep going, but I do trust him. It's going to be an interesting mid-season to say the least.

My ABCs

There has been a ton of news breaks about shows that are being renewed for next year's television season, and there have been some pleasant (and not so pleasant) surprises.

First, the good news. Apparently, ABC has renewed two of my new favorite shows, Castle and Better Off Ted. The experts were expecting Castle to get a second season, but it wasn't a done deal due to OK, but far from stellar ratings. Better Off Ted on the other hand is a huge surprise because everyone had this show flatlining after poor ratings, but apparently ABC gave the smart and funny show a reprieve. Of course, nothing is official until ABC's upfront presentation next week, but it's some encouraging news to say the least.

Now, the not so good news. It seems like the 9th season of Scrubs is official, and Zach Braff & Sarah Chalke are supposedly coming back for 6 episodes to help pass the torch to "Scrubs: The New Class". I love Scrubs, and I've always been on the fence about a 9th season, but the more I think about it the more skeptical I become about it. "My Finale" was the perfect ending to the show, but now that last episode will be cheapened, despite what Bill Lawrence says, thanks to this new season. Sure, this season might be good, but oh how I doubt it. The thing is, I'm probably going to watch regardless.

So, it looks like I'm going to be watching a lot of ABC next season since I really don't have shows I'm dedicated to on CBS (except for How I Met Your Mother, but it's on thin ice) or FOX, and only two on NBC (Friday Night Lights and Chuck).

My Trip Down Memory Lane

Probably the best two minutes in television history. OK, maybe that's a bit much, but it was the two best minutes of Scrubs ever.

I was happy to see that they brought Alex ("My Drug Buddy") back. She was always my favorite of J.D.'s non-Elliot girlfriends. I also liked seeing Slagathor and Boone back. I kinda want them to be the focus of the mythical ninth season along with Sonny & Denise.

Overall, tonight's episode wasn't the perfect series finale ever, but it was pretty damn close, and I'm going to miss it...

My End of an Era

This week is going to be an emotional roller coaster for me, TV wise.

First, there's the whole Chuck renewal craziness, but this week will also have the final two episodes of Scrubs as we know it.

There are rumors that it may be picked up for a 9th season, but it won't be the same. Here's a sneak peak of the finale. Classic Scrubs.

My Scrubs Farewell...Maybe

Apparently, Scrubs is the show that will not die. My love for this show has never been a secret, but I agree that it's time for it to bow out gracefully. Season 8 was a gift, and we should be happy it had the chance to leave on its own terms.

Then again, I can't say that I wouldn't watch season 9 or a possible spin-off. I'm liking some of the new interns (Sunny & Denise in particular), and I'd be mildly interested in seeing a show about them.

The biggest selling point for me though rests on Johnny C & Donald because they'd have to be regulars since they're the Chief of Medicine and the Chief of Surgery. It'd be weird to have two higher ups gone from the hospital all of the time.

And whose to say they can't bring in some new doctors to mix things up. I know this is a pipe dream, but what if they brought in Alexis Bledel (who proved she can do the doctor thing in addition to comedy) as a new attending. I'd be all over that show, especially if Sarah Chalke sticks around.

I've also read that another season of Scrubs might give Better Off Ted a stronger chance at renewal, and that would be awesome, but the show's time has come...

My Hopelessly Romantic Side, Pt. 2

This scene from last night's Scrubs is a classic example of the show. It had it's heartfelt moment, but was able to toss in some well timed humor.

I know that there's some talk about a possible 9th season, but it needs to end in my opinion. We finally have J.D. & Elliot together, and another season will just further complicate the relationship. Let the couple live happily ever after...

My New Bubble Show

My love for Chuck has been well documented, as well as the show's bubble status over at NBC, but the spy dramedy is not the only show I like that is on the bubble. Unfortunately, ABC's Castle is also at risk of being cancelled.

Now, I'm more emotionally invested in Chuck because I've been watching since day one, and it has a mythology and larger storyarcs in place that have me hooked, whereas Castle is a by-the-book procedural. The thing is, Castle is a more entertaining procedural than all of the CSIs put together (and don't get me started on the other ho-hum cop shows on CBS). Sure, Castle has the same case of the week premise, but the chemistry between Nathan Fillion (Rick Castle) and Stana Katic (Kate Beckett) is fun to watch. Plus, Fillion is a pure pimp.

I'm a little shocked that Castle is on the bubble because I knew that the ratings weren't stellar, but far from bad. I guess I was wrong, and it looks like my new favorite crime drama is going to have the same fate as my last favorite crime show (Pushing Daisies), which is just saddening.

The thing is, I think Castle could catch on with audiences, even more so than PD, because it's not as quirky but still fun to watch. I could see the Fillion vehicle do well in a line-up that includes Desperate Housewives on Sundays (although I doubt ABC would give it Brothers & Sisters time slot since the latter is more established). Maybe even pair it up with Grey's Anatomy & Private Practice. Sure, I'm not a fan of those particular shows, but I'm for anything that would keep Castle around for a few more episodes.

Sadly, I don't see any big moves (or hope for that matter) in Castle's future, and more than likely it's a goner, which means it could join the aforementioned Pushing Daisies, Scrubs, Kings, and possibly Chuck on the list of my favorite shows that are not coming back next season. Sad day. This is exactly why I avoided watching TV in the past...the emotional let down is too great.

My Tiki Bump

Last night's Scrubs had some pretty decent laughs, but one that always gets me is this one:

"Tiki bump!" - Classic!

My Guy Love

I know that some people feel that the bromance between J.D. and Turk is getting too over the top, and it might be hurting the characters, but this storyline saved "My Comedy Show". To be honest, I could do with more bromance on the show.

My New Girlfriend

So, after watching last week's Interns webisode, and tonight's "My Lawyer's In Love" episode of Scrubs, I've decided that I'm now in love with Kate Micucci (the girl who plays the ukulele).

Seriously, how cute is she? And, she can play the ukulele! That's hot and cute all at the same time.

Plus, she's interested in Ted, and for some reason that makes me feel hopeful...

My Giddiness Leads to Like-Like...

This is why Scrubs is such a great show. Seriously, how can you not just laugh and smile after seeing this webisode?

My Scrubs Rants

It looks like ABC is moving Scrubs around the schedule, which seems oddly familiar to what NBC did to the medical sitcom. I'm not opposed to having Scrubs on a new night, especially if it is in the best interest of the show, but having it on Wednesdays against American Idol seems like a death sentence.

Then again, maybe I'm just too doom and gloom because Scrubs has always only appealed to its fans whereas AI has broader sensibilities, so it may only be competing with Gary Unmarried for the scraps. Plus, Scrubs may get some Lost fans to tune in prior to their show going on air, and it gives the show a chance to be with some other scripted series rather than being stuck in between reality shows about the Border Patrol and hidden cameras.

Or maybe I'm being too optimistic with the previous scenario. I can't help but laugh at ABC's decision to move the show because it just reminds me of a deadbeat parent situation. Here ABC helps create Scrubs just to let it fend for itself, and then all of a sudden it wants to reconnect and save the show, just to let it down again. Scrubs' move to ABC may have gained it some attention from mommy and daddy, but it didn't get it that much more love.

It's just a little frustrating because ABC has a lot of potential for a good night of TV. I can't have my dream line-up of Scrubs/Samantha Who, Pushing Daisies, and Eli Stone (R.I.P. PD), but why not have the S/SW block with new shows Better of Ted and In the Motherhood (or maybe even Grey's Anatomy), and finish the night with Ugly Betty. This line-up could do well on Mondays (despite an overcrowded night, but more on that later) or even Thursdays (to appease Grey's fans).

The funny thing is this move may be a blessing in disguise because most of the fans are hoping for low ratings so this will be the last season, and the idea of it continuing or having a spin-off will fade along with it. Now, I've always been against having the show go on without Zach Braff, but I did warm up to the idea of a Dr. Cox spin-off, and I think this season could be a nice diving board for said show.

Out of all of the possible Scrubs spin-offs, the only two I felt could work would be Dr. Cox's Sacred Heart or Elliot's private practice. Now that Elliot's back with J.D., I can't support her own show since J.D. would have to be involved OR they'd have to break up...AGAIN. I'm not OK with that and I probably couldn't make myself watch it, so a Dr. Cox show makes more sense.

This season's building up to Dr. Cox taking over as Chief of Medicine at Sacred Heart, and future episodes seem to be focusing on his tough transition into this new role. I could see a show that continues his journey as Chief and dealing with a new crop of attendings and interns. They could even flesh out some of the smaller characters (e.g. Keith, Rex, Boone, and Slagathor) and let them step forward. Maybe bring back Heather Graham's Dr. Clock to play Dr. Cox's foil. This show would also bring everything full circle since Scrubs was about him as a teacher, and now we could see him as a mentee of Dr. Kelso.

Or we could just have a proper send-off for Scrubs, but I doubt anyone will be watching it since Idol will be on.

My Hopelessly Romantic Side

I was convinced after season 4 that JD and Elliot were done for good and I was OK with that, but after last season I warmed up to the idea of them getting back together. Needless to say, last night's second episode was a good one in my book.

I know there are a lot of people who are against JD & Elliot Part IV, but to be honest they've never had the chance to be a couple. I think the show did a good job at letting them put everything on the table so they could avoid making the same mistakes. Plus, the way they quietly got back together while they were walking by themselves was picture perfect. Maybe, just maybe, this time is for real.

If it's not then I might have to stop watching the show because I can't take another "on again off again" situation. You have them together, so keep them together for goodness sake!

My Tasty Treat

This clip from last night's episode ("My Last Words") is just classic Scrubs.

Both eps last night were pretty good, not as great as some of the show's earlier works, but way better than what we've been getting the last few seasons.

It's great to have this show back on the air. Thanks ABC!

My Favorite 'Scrubs' Episodes: Season by Season

Happy Scrubs Season Premiere Eve! To say that I'm excited for tomorrow night's premiere would be an understatement. After a strike shortened season 7, and hearing that Pushing Daisies is on its way out, the ABC debut of Scrubs is just what the doctor ordered. To celebrate the return of my all-time favorite show, I've decided to run down the episodes that stood out to me season by season.

Season 1: "My Old Lady"
The whole crew learn their share about death when JD takes care of an old woman ready to die, Elliot and Carla watch over a woman who can't speak English, and Turk becomes too close with a patient (summary by IMDB).

This episode really captured the tone of the show because it was the perfect combination of laughter and emotion. You watch J.D., Elliot, and Turk handle losing their patients, but you also see them grow as doctors. If you had to pick one episode that sums up Scrubs this has to be it.

Season 2: "My Philosophy"
J.D. discusses the philosophy of death with a transplant patient. Elliot feels that having a unisex locker room at the hospital is unfair. Meanwhile, Turk proposes to Carla just before she leaves for 5 days to take care of her grieving mother, leaving him to ponder over what her answer will be (summary by IMDB).

Again, this episode toes the line between goofy comedy and heart wrenching drama. We also see how creative this show can be when they have part of the cast be a part of a musical number. This was a bold move that could have hurt the episode, but it was pulled off brilliantly.

Season 3: "My Screw Up"
It's Jack's first birthday, so Jordan's siblings Dani and Ben are in town. Dr. Cox tells JD to leave a patient for 1/2 an hour and check-up on Ben's leukemia, but when a patient dies, Dr. Cox blames JD, and takes over his patients. Carla and Turk argue about Turk getting rid of his mole and Carla taking Turk's last name. The main theme is acceptance (summary by IMDB).

The brilliance of this show is once again displayed through this episode, which is a testament to the strong writing and story telling. This episode also has a twist ending that totally floored me, and made this installment even more powerful.

Season 4: "My Cake"
J.D.'s brother Dan comes back to tell J.D. their father died (summary by IMDB).

I tend to like any episode with Tom Cavanagh, who plays J.D.'s brother, because he has good chemistry with Zach Braff. I believe them as brothers. This is also one of my favorite episodes because we finally get to see that Dr. Cox really does care about J.D.

Season 5: "My Way Home"
100th episode. As a tribute to "The Wizard of Oz", the four companions go on a similar journey. Turk needs a heart from a patient in order to be the first resident to assist performing an in-house heart transplant. Carla needs courage to have a child with Turk even though she can't stand babies, Elliot needs the brains to handle speaking in a medical seminar, and J.D, well, he just wants to get home...(summary by IMDB).

I'm also a sucker for the Braff directed eps. Sure, I'm biased, but I don't care. This episode my not be the most original, but it's just fun to watch because it's look and style is so over the top, but it works as an homage to The Wizard of Oz.

Season 6: "My Musical"
A patient (Tony award nominee Stephanie D'Abruzzo) hears singing from everyone, turning Sacred Heart into a musical extravaganza. Meanwhile, Elliot determines whether or not J.D. should move in with her, and Carla determines whether or not to go back to work (summary by IMDB).

The reason I liked this episode is very similar to why I liked "My Way Home". It's just fun to watch. A musical episode cannot be pulled off by just any show, but Scrubs was able to make it work.

Season 7: "My Princess"
Dr. Cox tells his son the story about a typical day at Sacred Heart in the form of a bedtime fairy tale (summary by IMDB).

For some reason, this episode fell flat with a lot of viewers, but I thought it was one of the few highlights of a lackluster season 7. Personally, I blame NBC because they showed it out of order, thus throwing some viewers off. As an episode, it may not be the most original to date, but it was a nice little change of pace, and I enjoyed watching it. Sure, it wasn't perfect but it was better than most, if not all, of the rest of season 7.

Seven seasons down, and one more to go. I can't wait!

My Giddiness Knows No Bounds

We have webisodes! NBC never had webisodes for Scrubs. ABC has already given this show more love than NBC ever did, and it hasn't even debuted yet.

My Giddiness is in the Red

If you haven't heard by now, Scrubs is moving to ABC. If you don't watch Scrubs, I can't talk to you unless you catch up and start watching this January:

My Giddiness is Out of Control

Seriously, I'm totally psyched!

My first impressions:

This snippet is classic Scrubs, and I like how they're poking fun at themselves (J.D.'s had so many sexy, wind-blown, reveals for new female characters, that his get on with it approach had me laughing out loud).

Also, I like J.D. with some scruff. I'm sure people are going to give Zach Braff some crap for this, but I think it finally gives the character some depth because he's not the same old J.D.

Is it just me, or does Courteney Cox seem like a natural member of the Scrubs cast? I'm a little bummed that she's only going to be a part of a three episode arch. I'm sure this is blasphemous, but I'd like to keep her around over having Dr. Cox take over as Chief of Medicine.

This may just be a small preview, but it's got me all worked up. I can't wait!

My Giddiness Mounts

The New Year cannot get here fast enough...the countdown has begun!

My Mid-Season Clusterfrick

It's almost that time of year, mid-season on network TV. Usually, mid-season has little to no buzz, but I'm actually excited this year because Scrubs will start its new life on ABC.

Unfortunately, this mid-season might be a downer for some of my other favorite shows; namely Pushing Daisies. Apparently, PD's second season numbers are drastically lower compared to last season, which could spell doom for the Pie Maker. According to Wikipedia, Daisies is not on the mid-season calendar and has been replaced with Scrubs and The Goode Family. Ironic, huh?

I understand why Daisies hasn't been a huge hit for ABC since it actually promotes creativity rather than reality based schlock. Brightly-colored, quirky, fantasy shows will not resonate with all viewers, but then again watching washed up celebrities prance around doesn't either.

The thing is ABC has the chance to set up a pretty fun night if they just gave Pushing Daisies a shot. For example, you could have an hour block of sitcoms by pairing up Scrubs with Samantha Who?, follow that up with Pushing Daisies, and round out the night with Eli Stone.

Now, I haven't watched an episode of Samantha or Eli, but from what I know they both have that slightly quirky edge to them which could work nicely with Scrubs and Daisies. Sure, you may turn some viewers away with an all "outside the box" night, but you could keep a lot of viewers for the entire evening.

If I ran ABC, I would put this lineup on Tuesday nights starting this winter. Sure, it would go up against American Idol, but the same is true for Wednesdays. It would make the most sense to put these shows on Mondays, but then Scrubs or Daisies would probably have to go up against How I Met Your Mother, Chuck, and House. My DVR's already working overtime on Monday nights.

So, that's what my ideal ABC lineup would look like if I ruled the world (or Disney). I just hope Pushing Daisies gets some new life, and Scrubs doesn't get crushed on its new network. Either way, it could be an interesting mid-season.