"Scrubs" Near-demise Thwarted by Mass Panic

May 11, 2006

Apparently rumors that "Scrubs" was on its last season whipped up so much free publicity that the word in the ICU is it's on the schedule for next year.

I should have known "Scrubs" was on a mission to save itself when my mom asked if I knew anything about a "very funny comedy about young, quirky doctors." That question makes me think even NPR got into the buzz, since that’s her only media source.

The main threat to Scrubs this year came from competing medical institutions – "Grey's Anatomy," "House" and stalwart "ER." But while on paper they may look similar, "Scrubs" is in a league of its own. While the show has had sad moments, it's a comedy. The writing is witty in one of those this-is-hysterical-on-so-many-levels kind of way. Similar to "The Simpsons," viewers in a wide age range, varying educational levels and sensibilities see its humor in different ways. "Scrubs" is a smart show. Whether it will be smart enough to drum up this much buzz and save itself every year is another question. –Chris Parker