Although theScrubsrevival benefits from the show’s existing fan base and viewer nostalgia, it isSt Denis Medical’s success that proves the reboot can really succeed. TheScrubsrevival is officially happening, to the delight of ‘00s sitcom fans everywhere. The denizens of Sacred Heart Hospital will be reunited asZach Braff has announced his comeback as JDin the revival, and various other major stars are rumored to return.
However, while the news of newScrubsepisodes was always going to be exciting, this revival does seem somewhat risky.Scrubsseason 9,Med School,was an infamously bad semi-reboot that kept Braff’s JD and Donald Faison’s Turk, but dropped many of the other supporting characters and replaced them with newcomers. Although many ofMed School’s stars went on to become major actors in their own right, including Eliza Coupe and Dave Franco, the series failed to recapture the magic of the show’s first eight seasons.
St. Denis Medical’s Success Bodes Well For The Scrubs Reboot
This Workplace Mockumentary Proves The Scrubs Revival Can Succeed
As such,Scrubs’ return comes burdened with a lot of audience expectations. Luckily, a completely unrelated sitcom’s success provesScrubshas a chance at successfully reviving the series. Arguably, it is the success of NBC’s medical mockumentarySt. Denis Medicalthat bodes well for the success of theScrubsreboot even more than the enduring popularity of the original series.St. Denis Medicalis currently a popular hit with viewers, and it is familiar to a younger audience that may not have ever watched the originalScrubs.
St Denis Medical’s season 2 renewal and successful ratings prove that the show could open the door for people who love the NBC sitcom to also watch the Scrubs reboot.
Although bothSt. Denis MedicalandScrubsare both quirky workplace comedies set in hospitals, The former show’s mockumentary setup and deadpan humor mean they are not too similar to succeed at the same time. On the contrary,St. Denis Medical’s season 2 renewaland successful ratings prove that the show could open the door for people who love the NBC sitcom to also watch the Scrubs reboot.
Younger Audiences May Not Have Seen Scrubs, But Have Seen St. Denis Medical
St Denis Medical Brought The Hospital Sitcom Subgenre Back Before The Scrubs Revival
While it might be hard to believe,the original run ofScrubsended over 15 years ago in March 2010. Season 8’s ending, “My Finale,” aired even earlier, in May 2009, and is still seen as the definitive ending of the original series by many viewers. Thus, an entire younger generation of TV viewers and even anyone under the age of 30 may not have ever seenScrubsor remember the series. As such, the contemporary popularity ofSt. Denis Medicalcruciallyproves that hospital-set sitcoms remain viable.
AlthoughScrubs’ worst season lost the showsome audience goodwill, this isn’t the reboot’s biggest barrier. Instead, the biggest difficulty thatScrubswill face is getting new viewers to engage with the show if they have never heard of the original series. Thus,St. Denis Medical’s popularity is indispensable.
Hospital Shows In General Are Having A Moment Right Now
The Inherently Dramatic Settings Are Everywhere On Network TV
While the specific success ofSt. Denis Medical is good news for theScrubsrevival, a broader TV trend also bodes well for the show.Hospital TV shows are proving popular right now, and this meansScrubsis arriving in a welcoming TV landscape with this revival. Not only hasSt. Denis Medicalproved a hit, butThe Pitt,Doc,Brilliant Minds,Dr. Odyssey, and even the Sherlock Holmes retellingWatsonall prove hospital shows are enjoying a resurgence right now.
2001-2009
2009-2010
The 9th season with a new subtitle
2009
A web series released alongside season 8 ofScrubs
Even though many of these shows are in completely different genres, they still prove that there is an appetite for hospital-set or medical shows, no matter the genre. Meanwhile,St Denis Medical’s season 1 successproves that a workplace comedy set in a hospital has a chance even in this busy lineup. As such, theScrubsrevival can actually benefit from the success ofSt. Denis Medical, despite how much the two shows might look like rivals on paper.
