My Life in Four Cameras

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“My Life in Four Cameras”
Scrubs episode
Scrubs goes in to 'sitcom' mode
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 17
Guest stars	Clay Aiken (Kenny) Ken Lerner (Mr. James) Deonté Gordon (Figsack) Jeremy Howard (Fat Frank) Dave Martel (Dave Martel)
Written by	Debra Fordham
Directed by	Adam Bernstein
Production no.	417
Original airdate	February 15, 2005
Episode chronology
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"My Quarantine"	"My Roommates"

My Life in Four Cameras is the 85th episode of the American sitcom Scrubs. It originally aired on February 15, 2005.

1 Episode overview
2 Trivia
3 See also
4 Notes

[edit] Episode overview

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

This episode is an homage to the traditional multi-camera sitcom, and, specifically, Cheers. Unlike traditional sitcoms, Scrubs uses a single camera setup, no laugh track, and is not filmed before a live studio audience. During an extended dream sequence, J.D. imagines what his life would be like if it were a sitcom. This sequence was actually filmed in a multi-camera setup with a laugh track and studio audience; as well as featuring low-cut outfits for the female characters, a less realistic hospital set, brighter lighting, broader humor, a fairly contrived plot, and a cheesy guest star (Clay Aiken). In addition, a featured patient in the episode is fictional Cheers writer Charles James, a combination of Cheers' three creators James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles. The episode makes repeated comments about these "traditional" sitcoms and ends with Colin Hay performing the Cheers theme song.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Kelso needs to do some budget cuts, and he figures out he has to fire someone. Dr. Cox bets that he can do it better, but after many hours of working, he finds that there is no way around it. The next day at lunch, Janitor points out all the lunchroom workers Dr. Cox shouldn't fire. Finally he points out Clay Aiken's character, who pours the coffee; he happens to be the newest lunchroom worker. When the show switches to "sitcom mode", a talent show happens at the hospital (with the prize being the exact same amount that the hospital needs to save). Everyone tries their best, J.D. doing his famous "Giant Doctor" act, when finally Clay Aiken's character sings and wins the money. However, it turns out the sitcom mode is fake and Dr. Cox does have to fire Clay Aiken's character.

Also, J.D. and Turk meet a famous writer for Cheers. It turns out he has lung cancer. In sitcom mode, he lives following the discovery that his chart was mixed up with that of another patient with a similar name. After we return to the show's "normal" setting, we find out that he has died.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Trivia

The version of the Cheers theme song performed by Colin Hay in the original airing of this episode has been removed from subsequent airings and is not heard in the DVD release.

After Turk defeats Carla at arm wrestling, he shouts out, "Do you see what you get Carla? Do you see what you get when you mess with the warrior!" This is a parody of a similar line from the film, The Warriors, where the leader of The Orphans screams "You see what you get, Warriors? You see what you get when you mess with the Orphans?"^[4]

According to commentaries, many of the male cast 'suggested' to Bill Lawrence that the scantily-clad nurses should remain in the series.

Sarah Chalke (Elliot) has admitted to this episode being her favorite. Along with other cast members in this fifth season, this episode was repeated as a cast favourite, with the respective cast member's independent commentary track on the episode available online to listen to while the show was broadcast.