Scrubs: Review

Back in 2001, a sweetly brilliant little comedy erupted in the US.

Running for nine seasons, the story of JD (Zach Braff) slowly becoming a doctor from being an intern at Sacred Heart hospital proved to be a comedic tonic to the likes of medical drama ER.

So it's with a heavy nostalgia blanket that the 2026 revival of the series follows JD in the next stages of his life. Beginning with his dream of being a doctor and the reality of what mid-life has brought him, the revival pits JD on a return course to Sacred Heart, having left it years behind.

When he returns to the halls of the teaching school, he finds the usual faces - Dr Cox (John McGinley), Elliot (Sarah Chalke), Carla (Judy Reyes) and of course, his longterm bromance, Turk (Donald Faison). However, in a twist that's being deemed a spoiler, JD ends up taking a position at Sacred Heart and essentially returning to where it all began.

It's not entirely off the mark to say that Scrubs is welcome back for 2026. 

JD, Turk and Elliott were a great group to hang out with and quick writing full of quips and smart one-liners set up the show well.

But the 2026 revival of Scrubs taps into that feeling with a sense of nostalgia, deja-vu and perhaps a little flatness in some of the gags and set-ups. You'd have to be blind to see the lack of where the student returning to when it all began could go, and in fairness, there really was no other way to ensure a revival in many ways.

It's like the show never clocked out from its demise, and even some of the writing feels ripped from that era too. IT's solid and heartfelt without ever really cracking the ribs in extreme humour. It also feels like an extension of the final season which introduced new interns and tried to carry on the legacy.

 

Yet this time, there are some moments that feel a little better. An underlying storyline about Turk's general aura dropping as he continues years in the school and sees so many repeat patients is effective in its ennui.

The heartfelt nature and the push for innocence in healthcare is a worthy one - but it remains to be seen if the 2026 Scrubs revival can keep up the highs of the original series. On this evidence, it could go either way - but it's to be hoped JD and Turk can keep it from flatlining.

Episodes 1-4 of the 2026 series of Scrubs were viewed for the purposes of this review.
Scrubs airs on Disney+ on February 25.