Zach Braff Explains How New SCRUBS Revival Is Picking Up After Disappointing 9th Season
A new season of the fan favorite series Scrubs is headed our way, and star Zach Braff is clarifying how the creator, Bill Lawrence, approached this new venture.
The original run was beloved by its fanbase, but many felt that the ninth and final season was a disappointment. Only Braff, Donald Faison, and John C. McGinley returned as regulars, and the story shifted to focus on incoming med students.
It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t the same show anymore, and fans felt let down in what was supposed to be a strong final sendoff.
That was addressed by the stars in a recent interview with CinemaBlend, where they were asked if they consider the new 2026 version of Scrubs to be a revival, a Season 10, or a Season 9? Sarah Chalke quickly responded that it's a "revival," and Braff followed up, saying:
“I think it's a revival, and we're calling it Season 1. It's a whole new show. I mean, it's obviously the same characters from [Seasons] 1 through 8.
“I think the best way that we've been framing it is that [creator] Bill Lawrence has always said that Season 9 should have been considered a spinoff. It was a different show. He wished he'd called it Scrubs: Med School.”
Braff went on to add:
“So we're picking up story-wise, where 1 through 8 ended, and if fans remember when J.D. sees those images projected onto the screen at the end of the finale, they're not necessarily what truly happened to him.
“They're what he hopes and wishes will happen to him. So our story really picks up there, however many years later. So that's kind of our entry way back in.”
I like this approach. It feels like it will be satisfying to old fans, and knowing these details will make it easier for new fans to digest the change in the former final season.
In the revival, Zach Braff is stepping back into JD Dorian’s sneakers alongside his real life best friend Donald Faison, who is returning to play Turk with Sarah Chalke’s Elliot. They are joined by returning cast mates Judy Reyes as Carla, John C. McGinley as Dr. Cox, Neil Flynn as Janitor, and Ken Jenkins as Dr. Kelso, among others.
Scrubs returns on February 25th on ABC and will stream on Hulu.