Scrubs (TV series)

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Scrubs
Image:Scrubscard.jpg
Scrubs title card
Genre Comedy
Camera setup Single camera
Running time approx. 22 minutes (per episode)
Creator(s) Bill Lawrence
Starring Zach Braff
Sarah Chalke
Donald Faison
Neil Flynn
Ken Jenkins
John C. McGinley
Judy Reyes
Country of origin Flag of United States United States
Original channel NBC
Original run October 2, 2001–present
No. of episodes 120
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Scrubs is an American situation comedy that premiered on October 2, 2001 on NBC. It was created by Bill Lawrence, who also co-created Spin City.

The show focuses on the professional and personal lives of several characters working at Sacred Heart Hospital, a fictional teaching hospital in an unspecified American city. It uses first-person narration, unusually verbose characters, abrupt segues between subplots, breakneck pace, and surreal escapism (usually presented as the thoughts and reveries of the main characters), counterpointed by poignant scenes where the characters address how doctors deal with death and issues in their personal lives. The combination of these diverse elements distinguishes it from other series. Scrubs has been advertised as "half as long as ER and twice as funny."

Unlike most situation comedies, Scrubs uses a single camera setup (as opposed to a multiple-camera setup). It also lacks a laugh track, a traditional device in many American situation comedies. The show is structured around multiple storylines thematically linked via voiceovers by protagonist and narrator Dr. John "J.D." Dorian. At the end of each episode, J.D. summarizes the story's moral or theme, in a sequence of shots that show how it has affected each of the characters. This breathes a considerable amount of purpose and meaning into the program, and clarifies many of the events that occured, which before seemed to have no reason at all. The series is also notable for numerous guest appearances by major movie actors not generally seen on episodic television.

Contents

[edit] Cast

The main cast of Scrubs, 2005, left to right: John C. McGinley, Neil Flynn, Sarah Chalke, Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Ken Jenkins and Judy Reyes
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The main cast of Scrubs, 2005, left to right: John C. McGinley, Neil Flynn, Sarah Chalke, Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Ken Jenkins and Judy Reyes
See also: List of minor characters of Scrubs
See also: List of relationships on Scrubs

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of Scrubs episodes
Season Ep # First Airdate Last Airdate
Season 1 24 October 2, 2001 May 21, 2002
Season 2 22 September 26, 2002 April 17, 2003
Season 3 22 October 2, 2003 May 4, 2004
Season 4 25 August 31, 2004 May 10, 2005
Season 5 24 January 3, 2006 May 16, 2006
Season 6 22 November 30, 2006 TBA, 2007

[edit] Broadcast history

[edit] Season 5

Though a full season of 24 episodes was produced for the fifth season, NBC decided against airing them during the 2005–2006 fall schedule. On December 1, 2005, NBC announced the return of Scrubs for mid-season. At first, two new episodes were aired back-to-back every Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. ET. The first twelve episodes of the season aired in this fashion, then NBC returned to airing one new episode every week (still at 9:00 p.m. ET), followed by a Scrubs rerun. For the first three weeks of this, the old episode was a cast favorite episode, with available audio commentary tracks on NBC's website to accompany the episodes. After this, with the premiere of Teachers in the 9:30 p.m. timeslot, Scrubs continued to air new episodes at 9:00 p.m., with previous season five episodes airing in the 8:30 p.m. timeslot before. When Teachers ended, Scrubs reruns returned to 9:30 p.m.. Season 5 began on E4 in the UK on July 13th.[1]

[edit] Season 6

On 15 May 2006, NBC announced that Scrubs had been renewed for a full season (2006–2007). Although it was originally supposed to air midseason, NBC announced on October 25 that the show would air Thursdays at 9 p.m. starting November 30.[2] The first episode was a continuation of Season 5's finale ("My Transition"), titled "My Mirror Image." Producer Bill Lawrence has previously indicated that Season 6 would most likely be the final season of Scrubs [3], but more recent interviews with Zach Braff have indicated that they intend to go on into Season 7, regardless of whether Zach Braff leaves [4]. He also denounced his reported departure as a rumor. Every Thursday night, there will be a new episode on NBC.

[edit] Around the world

[edit] Location

Main article: Sacred Heart Hospital

Scrubs is filmed on location at the North Hollywood Medical Center (34°9′28.86″N, 118°24′31.22″W), a real decommissioned hospital on Riverside Drive in Sherman Oaks, California. However, the location of Sacred Heart Hospital within the fictional world of Scrubs is not stated. The Scrubs city is meant to remain anonymous to reinforce that the situations apply to all locations, according to staff.[citation needed] Cast and crew on the show refer to the location as "San DaFrangeles" — a portmanteau of San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles that is meant to encompass a large part of California. However, many fans continue to speculate about where exactly the show might take place.

[edit] DVD Releases

DVD Name # of Ep Release dates Additional Information
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
The Complete First Season 24 May 17, 2005 June 27, 2005 June 29, 2005 Bonus features include Newbies — a documentary that examines the actors before they were cast, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, The Doctor Is In — one on one with Zach Braff, Alternate Lines: A Second Opinion — shows the cast's unique ability to improvise, Not Just Another Medical Show — a look at how the show is filmed, from using a single camera setup to actually shooting in a closed down hospital, Favorite Moments — cast and crew reflections on their favorite episodes, Audio Commentaries with creator and cast.
The Complete Second Season 22 November 15, 2005 September 12, 2005 September 19, 2005 One-On-One with John C. McGinley, Music Stylings — Featurette on Music's role in the show, Scrubbed Out — Exclusive Deleted Scenes, Practice, Practice, Malpractice — Outtakes.
The Complete Third Season 22 May 9, 2006 February 13, 2006 February 22, 2006 Audio commentaries with cast members, show creator and writer, Gag reel, Deleted scenes, Alternate lines, "Twist and Shoot" featurette on first-time directors, Stunts featurette, Guest-star featurette, Dogs of the cast and crew featurette, Behind-the-scenes game of "Dare" featurette, Extended cast interview, Elliot's character featurette, J.D. and Elliot love saga featurette.
The Complete Fourth Season 25 October 10, 2006 October 11, 2006 September 27, 2006 Will You Ever Be My Mentor? — A hilarious look at J.D.'s never-ending quest for Dr. Cox's approval, The Sweethearts Of Sacred Heart — In-depth interviews about the romantic entanglements and flirtations of the Scrubs characters, Secondary Characters — Get to know the "secondary" cast members and their roles, Who's That Man? — A look at the mysterious character "The Janitor.", Deleted Scenes, Audio Commentary. (Additional features as printed on R4 cover - 'The Weapons Chest', 'Donald Keeps Talking', Music video - 'Half' music video performed to G Tom Mac)
The Complete Fifth Season 24 TBA 2007 TBA February 2007 TBA February 2007
The Complete Sixth Season 22 TBA 2007 TBA Autumn 2007 TBA 2007

The Regions 2 and 4 releases of Season 3 did not have as many special features as the Region 1 equivalent. This was due to the earlier release dates of the DVD in those regions.

[edit] Music

The cover art for the first Scrubs soundtrack
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The cover art for the first Scrubs soundtrack
The cover art for the second, iTunes-exclusive Scrubs soundtrack
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The cover art for the second, iTunes-exclusive Scrubs soundtrack

Music plays a large role on Scrubs. A wide variety of rock, pop, and indie artists are featured. Almost every episode ends with a musical montage summing up the themes and plot lines of the episode, and the music for these montages is often picked even before the episodes are written.[6] Members of the cast and crew are encouraged to contribute song suggestions, with many ideas coming from series creator Bill Lawrence, writer Neil Goldman, and actors Zach Braff (whose college friends Cary Brothers and Joshua Radin appear on the Scrubs soundtracks) and Christa Miller Lawrence (who selected Colin Hay and Tammany Hall NYC). According to Bill Lawrence, "She [Christa] picks so much of the music for the show that a lot of the writers and actors don't even go to me anymore when they have a song. They hand it to her."[6] Producers plan to expand Scrubs' musical emphasis with a musical episode early in the sixth season.[7] A complete list of music used on the show can be found here.

[edit] Theme

The theme song of the series, performed by Lazlo Bane, is titled "Superman", and can be found on the album All the Time In the World, as well as on the first Scrubs soundtrack. Bill Lawrence credits Zach Braff for finding and suggesting "Superman" as the theme song. The lyrics "I'm No Superman" relate to the show's theme of its characters' fallibility.

The Scrubs version of the song is normally played at a faster speed than the original recording of the song. The original, slower recording was used briefly at the beginning of Season 2, played during an extended version of the title sequence (that included Neil Flynn and full cast credits). However, fans and the studio complained about the new titles, and the original title sequence was restored.

[edit] Soundtracks

Two official soundtracks have been released. The first one was released on CD on September 24, 2002, and a second — an iTunes exclusive — was released in mid-2006. An iMix on iTunes of the music used through the first five seasons has also been released.[2]

[edit] Featured musical contributors

The Worthless Peons, from Episode 2.02, My Nightingale
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The Worthless Peons, from Episode 2.02, My Nightingale

[edit] The Worthless Peons

The Worthless Peons (also known as Ted's Band or the Blanks) are an a cappella group made up of hospital employees from different departments. They are a cover band, and often sing songs from a specific theme. They have appeared in several episodes: Episode 1.23, My Hero (cartoon theme songs: "Speed Racer" and "Underdog"); Episode 2.02, My Nightingale (prime time theme songs: "The Facts of Life", "The Six Million Dollar Man", and "Charles in Charge"); Episode 2.14, My Brother, My Keeper ("Hello! Ma Baby"); Episode 2.19, My Kingdom (commercial jingles for Folgers Coffee, Mennen, and McDonald's); Episode 3.22, My Best Friend's Wedding ("Bridal Chorus" and "Eight Days a Week"); Episode 4.13, My Ocardial Infarction ("No, Not Much"); Episode 5.07, My Way Home (songs from classic movies: "Maniac" from Flashdance, as well as "We're Off to See the Wizard" and "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz) yet this version is a cover in itself done by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole; and Episode 5.24, My Transition ("Baby Back Ribs," the Chili's jingle).

The Worthless Peons are played by The Blanks, a real-life a cappella band made up of Sam Lloyd (who plays Ted), George Miserlis, Paul F. Perry, and Philip McNiven. The Blanks' album, Riding the Wave, features guest appearances from Bill Lawrence and members of the Scrubs cast.

The Scrubs cast and guest star Jill Tracy sing Colin Hay's "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin" in Episode 2.13, My Philosophy
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The Scrubs cast and guest star Jill Tracy sing Colin Hay's "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin" in Episode 2.13, My Philosophy

[edit] Colin Hay

Colin Hay, who is the former frontman of Men at Work, has been featured in Episode 1.24, My Last Day ("Beautiful World"); Episode 2.01, "My Overkill" (Men at Work's "Overkill," performed by Hay, who follows J.D. around the hospital); Episode 2.13, "My Philosophy" ("Waiting for My Real Life to Begin," performed by the entire cast at the end of the episode); Episode 2.22, "My Dream Job" ("My Brilliant Feat"); Episode 3.13, "My Porcelain God", (Men at Work's "Down Under," performed by J.D.); and Episode 4.17, My Life In Four Cameras (the Cheers theme song, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name", performed by Hay). It is interesting to note that the Men at Work song "Overkill" (which was performed by Hay on Scrubs) was covered by Lazlo Bane on Bane's album 11 Transistor, which was released before Scrubs was ever aired.

[edit] Joshua Radin

The music of Joshua Radin, who is a friend of Scrubs star Zach Braff, has appeared in several episodes, including Episode 3.14, My Screw Up ("Winter"); Episode 4.14, My Lucky Charm ("Today"); Episode 4.19, My Best Laid Plans ("Closer"); Episode 4.22, My Big Move ("Don't look Away"); and Episode 5.06, My Missed Perception ("These Photographs").

The friendship between Radin and Braff has been quite productive. Braff directed the music video for Radin's song "Closer" and is credited as playing the triangle on the song "Today" from Radin's debut album First Between 3rd and 4th. Radin also had a small cameo in Braff's film Garden State, playing a partygoer in one scene. The version of Radin's "Winter" that aired during My Screw Up was a demo version of the song sent to Braff by Radin for use in the episode. Due to the popularity of the as-yet unreleased song, it was made available for download at Joshua Radin's official site for a time, though it was removed when a studio version of the single became available.

[edit] Awards

In its first three seasons, Scrubs received Emmy nominations for casting, editing, and writing of a comedy series. Following Season 4, the show received additional nominations for Best Comedy Series, Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Braff), Best Editing for a Multi-Camera series (although the series is predominantly shot single-camera, Episode 4.17 "My Life in Four Cameras", has a brief segment shot multi-camera, sitcom-style), and casting. The show also won the 2002 Humanitas Prize, 30-minute category, for season 1 episode 4 "My Old Lady".

Braff was nominated for the Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical in 2005 and 2006, but lost to Jason Bateman for Arrested Development in 2005 and to Steve Carell of The Office in 2006.

[edit] Trivia

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Content in the trivia section should be integrated into other appropriate areas of the article.
  • Several cast members from Spin City, another show created by Bill Lawrence, have made guest appearances on the show. These include Michael J. Fox, Barry Bostwick, Alan Ruck, Richard Kind, Michael Boatman, Alexander Chaplin, and Heather Locklear.
  • Similarly, many cast members from Scrubs have lent voices to Clone High, another show created by Lawrence. They include Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, Neil Flynn, John C. McGinley, Christa Miller Lawrence, and Scrubs recurring actors Michael McDonald and Nicole Sullivan. Several of the Clone High characters played by Scrubs actors mirror their Scrubs counterparts. Braff, Chalke, and Faison appear as a trio; McGinley appears as a wise, slightly creepy mentor to one of the Clone High characters; and Flynn appears as a janitor who wears the exact same outfit as Janitor does on Scrubs.
  • The chest X-ray featured at the end of the title sequence was hung backwards for most of the first five seasons. Bill Lawrence has stated that having the X-ray backwards was intentional as it signified that the new interns were inexperienced.[8] The error became somewhat infamous, and was even parodied in Episode 5.12, My Cabbage (original airdate: February 28, 2006), with Cabbage (an incompetent intern) attempting to read a chest X-ray backwards. An attempt was made to fix the error in the extended title sequence that was used at the beginning of Season 2, but the extended sequence (including corrected X-ray) were soon scrapped at fan (and network) request. Finally, in Episode 5.23, My Urologist (original airdate: May 16, 2006), Dr. Kim Briggs (guest star Elizabeth Banks) steps into the credits and switches the X-ray around, saying, "It's been bugging me for years."
  • The last shot of each season finale features Bill Lawrence's best friend as a good luck charm.[9] The exception is the Series 5 finale, which finished with a "To Be Continued" screen.
  • Several Scrubs crew members have appeared in minor speaking roles, and writer/producer Mike Schwartz has a recurring role as a delivery man.
  • Dr. Cox's habit of referring to J.D. by girls' names was John C. McGinley's idea. He does the same thing in real life with his friend, actor John Cusack.[10]
  • Christa Miller Lawrence is married to series creator Bill Lawrence. In Episode 1.06, My Bad, the footage of Jordan and Dr. Cox's wedding is actually footage of Miller and Lawrence's wedding.[11]
  • Early in the series there was a musical cue that was used at the ends of sad or wistful scenes. By Season 4, it had become so noticeable that, in the eyes of the show's producers, it had become a cliché. As a send-off, in Episode 4.01, "My Old Friend's New Friend", J.D. asks Dr. Cox for help, and says "Come on, one more time for nostalgia's sake. You come see my patient, you teach me a lesson, and then the music plays. In my head, it sounds like this." He then imitates the cue. Since then, the cue has been used several times as a joke when characters are pretending to be sad.
  • Since Scrubs is aired around the world in many different languages, instances of foreign languages on the show have to be changed for the international versions. Carla's Spanish is changed to Italian in the Spanish language version of the show, and Elliot's German is changed to either Danish or German with a Swiss accent (the latter in Episode 4.17, "My Life in Four Cameras") in the German version of the show.
  • The title of almost every episode starts with the word "My", with the only deviations using the word "His" or "Her", in reference to the storyline focusing predominantly around a character other than J.D.
  • Scrubs was originally going to air on ABC but then ABC turned it down and NBC picked up the show.


[edit] Pop Culture

[edit] References

  1. ^ E4 (2006). "E4 Programme Highlights - July 2006". Retrieved June 30, 2006.
  2. ^ NBC (2006-10-25). NBC RE-MAKES TWO-HOUR COMEDY BLOCK ON THURSDAYS WITH RETURN OF 'SCRUBS' AND MOVE OF '30 ROCK' TO JOIN 'MY NAME IS EARL' AND 'THE OFFICE' BEGINNING NOVEMBER 30. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-10-25.
  3. ^ Ken Plume, "Bill Lawrence Interview", Quick Stop Entertainment, 2006-08-19.
  4. ^ Zach Braff, "[1]", Orange Entertainment
  5. ^ "Comedy Central Wants Some 'Scrubs'", Zap2it, July 12, 2005. Retrieved on August 28, 2006. (in English)
  6. ^ a b Kristine, Diane. "Q&A with Scrubs Creator Bill Lawrence", May 7, 2006. Retrieved on 26 August 2006.
  7. ^ Ausiello, Michael. "Scoop! Scrubs Stages a Musical!", August 18, 2006. Retrieved on 26 August 2006.
  8. ^ The Complete First Season DVD commentary for "My First Day"
  9. ^ The Complete First Season DVD commentary for "My First Day"
  10. ^ "John C. McGinley: The TV Squad Interview!", Anna Johns, March 1, 2006.
  11. ^ The Complete First Season DVD commentary for "My Bad"

[edit] External links

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[edit] Official websites

[edit] Reference Sites

[edit] Selected fansites


Scrubs
List of Scrubs episodes | List of relationships on Scrubs | Sacred Heart Hospital
Characters
J.D. | Elliot | Turk | Carla | Dr. Cox | Bob Kelso | Janitor | List of minor characters of Scrubs

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