“Scrubs” (2026): The Revival of a Classic Sitcom
The beloved 2001-2009 medical sitcom “Scrubs” quietly achieved a return of spontaneous circulation after 16 years. The original nine seasons found popularity among medical residents for its unique comedy and relatability, as well as its commentary on the difficulties of working in medicine. The newest season, currently airing on ABC, follows Dr. John “JD” Dorian’s return to Sacred Heart Hospital as its new Chief of Medicine.
Even 25 years after the show’s original debut, “Scrubs” (2026) retains the same comedic style as earlier seasons. JD’s imagination sequences are as witty and creative as ever, using absurd dialogue, costuming and events to create hilarious scenes. The editing for these moments maintains the comically cheap looking visuals and genre parodies of the earlier seasons without feeling repetitive. Some verbal jokes can feel outdated, but the visual comedy remains strong.
The tenth season also keeps its heartfelt commentary on the healthcare system and how it impacts both patients and workers. The show uses JD’s new responsibility as Chief of Medicine to explore administrative dilemmas, taking advantage of the time jump between the ninth and tenth seasons. While “Scrubs” does not offer solutions to fix a clearly broken system, it acknowledges the weight it places on professionals and patients alike and allows the characters and audience to sit with that grief.
While most of the original characters remain as strong as they were in the earlier seasons, the newer characters take time to develop. Dr. Kevin Park, in particular, feels somewhat shallow as a character, only defined by his immediate and outward hostility towards JD. Though this trait plays an important role in the story, the rest of Park’s character is underdeveloped. While characters claim that Park is highly intelligent and highly qualified, his intelligence is never clearly shown — not to mention, he is proven wrong in the very first case he is seen handling.
Dr. Sam Tosh is a somewhat flat character as well, defined by her role as an influencer attached to her phone. Episode 6 does more to develop Park and Tosh, but both still require further characterization to form more complete characters.
Unfortunately, “Scrubs” has a much larger problem. ABC is owned by Disney, which has been criticized in recent years for an overreliance on preexisting properties. While original works such as “Sinners” (2025) and “The Pitt” (2025) have gained massive popularity, Disney has shied away from creating new stories, instead releasing live action remakes and sequels to preexisting properties.
The existence of “Scrubs” (2026) begs the question: What concepts for new shows were sacrificed to reboot the series? Many recent works have shown that audiences enjoy new stories, but Disney still relies heavily on nostalgia to draw in viewers rather than taking the risk to create original films. “Scrubs” (2026) itself tries to capitalize on the show’s previous reputation, but its attempts to appeal to a younger audience through its new cast are hampered by its focus on older characters. Though it retains both its wit and heart, “Scrubs” (2026) is more likely to appeal to existing fans rather than gain new ones.
