Scrubs Thread

[Andrew]

I remember the good days, when it was primetime

Yeah, they were the days. That 70s show was also on at primetime once. Thank god for the internet, otherwise I would never have been able to watch so many episodes of both series.

They are (or were) showing That 70s Show episodes in the 7:30 timeslot on Thursdays. I'm not sure if they've gone through the entire run on Australian TV because the series has of course finished, but the last episodes I caught on Prime were season seven.

[JaoSming]

did anyone watch the new one tonight?


I didn't really like it. They made light of the JD Elliot thing and then the rest of the show was too serious for me to enjoy.

[Andrew]

I liked it, though I thought they might drag the Elliot/Keith saga out over a few episodes. I know Bill Lawrence has said he wants to avoid a Ross and Rachel situation with JD and Elliot but it seems unlikely that it won't come up again before the series is done. It seems too early for all of that to be locked away in a vault, even if they do end the series on a cliffhanger.

[Andrew]

Supposedly Kim is supposed to appear throughout the seventh season but it looks like they're getting her relationship with JD out of the way early on, unless they plan on them ending up together after leading everyone towards JD and Elliot getting together again...which I guess is possible but still seems unlikely. They'd probably go for an open ending before that unless Bill Lawrence has a change of heart.

Anyway, "My Hard Labor" was pretty good. It looks as though the rumours of Wright playing Laverne's twin sister were false which I think is good. That idea is a bit too cliche, I think it's funnier to have her appear as a nurse who reminds JD of Laverne especially as I've read that supposedly only JD will notice the similarity.

[benji]

Well, that's it for Scrubs. There are a few episodes already taped coming, but the series is probably done early now. NBC wanted Lawrence to write a finale, but he refused.

We can thank the WGA for deciding to kill network TV until 2009.

[el badman]

I haven't checked but my wife told me that the entire writing staff of The Office was also fired, does that mean we're screwed with all the decent shows from NBC?

[benji]

Yeah, I started a Writers Strike thread.

I believe 30 Rock and Scrubs both have around 5-10 more episodes banked. The Office is done because half the actors are writers and nobody was going to cross the picket lines to shoot. My Name is Earl however completed their shooting in the summer, so they have the entire season to air.

Family Guy is also shutdown, they are doing an episode without McFarlane though.

South Park is not, they do not hire WGA.

[Andrew]

Didn't Lawrence say that he intends to produce a finale for DVD release once the strike is over? Hopefully that's the case, it's bad enough six episodes are going to be lost (or so I've read) but at least some sort of finale would provide a bit of closure on the series. I'm not a huge fan of the cliffhanger/loose threads finale but at least such episodes usually have some sort of definitive "ending", rather than the storyline coming to an abrupt halt because no more episodes are being produced.

[benji]

They had the opportunity to refashion the last episode into a finale, and they made some changes to it, but didn't make it into the finale because it wasn't where Lawrence wanted it to end. If he can't get an opportunity to finish it, this episode will serve as the finale. I don't think it will have an "abrupt" ending, but an ending like most of the Scrubs seasons, as they had an opportunity to dabble with it.

[benji]

"Scrubs'" fate is no longer up in the air, reports John C. McGinley. "I've been told to show up at work on March 24, and the 18 episodes we're going to do starting that day will be on ABC next fall," says the actor known as the acerbic Dr. Cox on the show. "Scrubs" lead Zach Braff had expressed he definitely wanted out after what should have been the final season, but McGinley says the whole cast is aboard for one more go.

To recap, the "Scrubs" troupe was only able to finish 12 episodes of the 18 NBC had ordered for its final season before the writers' strike, and the network reportedly wouldn't commit to the last six episodes. "Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence had declared he'd finish the show on DVD if necessary, but then ABC piped in with the invite to jump ship. Now the last six episodes in the can for NBC begin airing April 10.

"When they're done, there's no wrap-up, cliffhanger or anything," notes McGinley. "It's a show that will all of a sudden stop in the middle of its season on NBC, which is kind of a drag, but if we're switching to ABC, I don't really care. Steve McPherson, the guy who runs ABC, greenlit the thing when he was over at Touchstone, so it was his baby to begin with. I couldn't be more excited."

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/pu ... 9342.shtml

[Andrew]

Sounds good to me. Whatever the quality of the new episodes (which I for one still enjoy), I'd like to see the show end on its own terms.

[Andrew]

Scrubs has returned with My Bad Too, the first episode to air in over four months. I probably should have watched the first few episodes of the season again to get back in the look but as it was I thought it was alright. Kelso cutting off Dr Cox was refreshing. It's not that I don't enjoy Cox's rants but they do start to sound the same after a while, especially after seven seasons, so it's fun when another character gets to one-up him for a change. Looks like they're toying with the idea of JD and Elliot again.

[Andrew]

Maybe it was just having a shorter break between episodes, but I thought My Manhood was a step up from the last episode with the Janitorial stuff. Only three episodes left in season seven and I've read the situation with ABC is still up in the air, so the 150th episode could be the finale.

[JaoSming]

IMO, that was dumb. I can't believe that was supposed to be the end of scrubs. ABC better pick the 8th season up.

[Andrew]

I haven't seen it yet but supposedly an eighth season consisting of eighteen episodes will be airing on ABC. I've actually enjoyed the last couple of episodes but the show has gone just about as far as it can. Still, I'll be watching to the end.

[JaoSming]

I was with you though, I liked the latest episodes but this one, just, eh. At the end they try to tie up all the loose ends and its just kinda, wtf.

[el badman]

Yeah, that episode was definitely a letdown, not worth a series finale (if it actually is) in my opinion. Should have been way more epic.

[Andrew]

Given the production code and the presence of Dr Kelso, it wasn't intended to be a season finale let alone a series finale which didn't help matters. I didn't think it was too bad but I'm glad it's been picked up for an eighth season so the show can at least have a proper final run and ending, whether or not they decide to tie up the loose ends or leave the series on a cliffhanger.

[benji]

Given the production code and the presence of Dr Kelso

You should've explained it more, the production code is 709, the previous two episodes were 710 and 711...it was clearly aired out of order.

The Scrubs people never intended it as a finale, NBC decided it would be a good finale and promoted it as the "finale" because it was the final episode to air on NBC. The real finale will air on ABC in the fall.

[Andrew]

I suppose I could have elaborated on that, I just didn't think it was worth going into specifics. Anyway, the bottom line is that it wasn't intended as a finale and we can expect an eighth season of 18 episodes which will presumably have a more traditional finale, cliffhanger or otherwise.

[benji]

I suppose I could have elaborated on that, I just didn't think it was worth going into specifics.

Nobody on the internet (and especially on the NLSC) bothers to use it to look up information, they wouldn't have known why it was important.

[Andrew]

I arguably didn't even need to bring it up at all. The anachronism of Dr Kelso still being the Chief of Medicine is as good an example of any that the episode was broadcast out of order.

[Andrew]

I've read that Ken Jenkins will be in the eighth season, acting as a confidant to Dr Cox while showing a more humane side that he kept hidden during his tenure as Chief of Medicine. Courtney Cox has also signed on for three episodes as the temporary Chief of Medicine. Hopefully the change in dynamic will prove refreshing rather than disastrous.

[Andrew]

It's looking more and more likely that after the eighth season, the show could continue with a new cast and without Bill Lawrence. Say what you will about the last couple of seasons but I think Scrubs: The Next Generation would sink much lower than the original cast outstaying their welcome.

[Oznogrd]

Scrubs without the original cast? the show other than Dr. Cox isnt necessarily funny due to the writing. It's usually pretty standard sitcom fare. I for one wont watch if they continue without the originals because thats not "Scrubs" but a new show with a similar premise.