Bill Lawrence Talks About the Future of ‘Scrubs’ Revival After Promising Premiere Ratings: “We’re Feeling Optimistic”
Bill Lawrence Celebrates Successful Return of Scrubs Reboot
The highly anticipated reboot of Scrubs has launched to impressive ratings, amassing 11.36 million total viewers across platforms including ABC, Hulu, and Disney+ within just five days, according to Disney. Bill Lawrence, the show’s creator, expressed his gratitude for the continued interest in the series.
“I’m so happy and grateful that anybody still cares about that show,” Lawrence remarked in an interview discussing his latest series, Rooster, for HBO, which features notable actors like Steve Carell, Charly Clive, and Scrubs alum John C. McKinley.
After a 17-year hiatus, Scrubs returned with its original stars Zach Braff, Donald Faison, and Sarah Chalke, delivering the highest-rated comedy episode on ABC in over a year. The revival marked the platform’s top series debut in streaming since the premiere of Shifting Gears.
Highlighting the strong cast, Lawrence stated, “I love the people that are in it so much, not only the old ones because I’ve talked way too much about Zach.” He acknowledged the long-standing relationships he has with Braff, Faison, and Chalke while also mentioning fellow original cast members McKinley and Judy Reyes, who are recurring on the revival.
“All the new kids are great as well,” Lawrence added. He noted the transformative experience of watching the original cast grow and mentor a new generation of actors, both on-screen and behind the scenes. The revival’s showrunner, Aseem Batra, began her career as a writer on the original Scrubs, deepening the connection between the two iterations of the show.
“She grew up and stayed on the show; she and I really connected there, so I like both those stories,” Lawrence explained, emphasizing the revival’s aim to not merely reboot but to continue the legacy with fresh characters.
Three episodes in, the Scrubs revival has emerged as ABC’s top-rated series among adults aged 18-49. The strong streaming performance further bolsters the prospect of a second season.
“We’re all crossing our fingers that they let us do a whole bunch more, but we’re really hopeful,” Lawrence said, a sentiment sure to resonate with fans of the original series, especially one beloved star who is not featured in the revival’s current nine episodes.
Dessi Gomez contributed to this report.
