May 15, 2006 - Season Six a Go - on NBC

Maybe it was the pressure from ABC -- the net's entertainment president Steve McPherson had indicated interest in picking up Scrubs if NBC passed -- or maybe it was NBC's continued dearth of successful comedies. Or maybe, just maybe, attention-catching episodes and a concentrated late-season run allowed Scrubs to prove its worth this year. Whatever it was, despite already planning a packed Fall schedule, NBC announced today at the advertiser upfronts that they are committed to our show for another year.

Because of that full Fall schedule, S6's fate looks like a lot like that for S5 -- with no scheduled debut for the 22-episode run. However, if a gap doesn't suddenly open sooner, we are at least guaranteed to see new eps by midseason (January-ish), which is when NBC newcomer Sunday Night Football concludes for the year.

March 28, 2006 - Scrubs on iTunes!

A couple weeks ago, Variety reported that NBC and Touchstone were in the middle of hammering out a landmark deal to make Scrubs available for download via Apple's popular iTunes, with the two opposing companies agreeing to split the profits 50-50. Well, the deal must have gone through, because as of tonight, you can now download all of Season Five for just a couple bucks an episode!

If you don't have a Nielsen box, this is a great way to show your support for the show. And if you put the eps on your iPod, it's also a great way to share the Scrubs love with others!

March 27, 2006 - Schedule Change - Again

For a while there, it appeared that we might not be getting our 8:30 rerun, but it looks like it's back on. So, from March 28th until NBC changes their minds again, tune in to a classic episode (often accompanied by downloadable commentary) at 8:30 PM, followed by a new episode in Scrubs' regular slot at 9:00 (E/P).

March 16, 2006 - Schedule Change

Our previous (and now removed) news entry announced a schedule change that has now been changed back. As it stands at the moment, we can still expect to see a new episode next week at 9:00, followed by the cast favorite repeat of "My Lucky Night" at 9:30.

Additionally, it appears that the previous plan to air future reruns at 8:30 has been scratched. As of March 28th, it looks like we'll only be having one episode per week, in the regular timeslot at 9 PM.

January 31, 2006 - Season Three DVD News

While Europe (Region 2) and Australasia (Region 4) have known for several months that they would be able to obtain their Season Three sets this February, Region 1 consumers have had to sit on their hands waiting for news. And though Buena Vista has yet to make an official announcement (wherein we assume they will confirm the extras), Amazon.com has recently posted a N. American release date of May 9th. (If you preorder now, you'll be able to take advantage of a $10+ discount off the suggested retail price.)

Early info for the set has been changed over the past months, leading some to wonder if any extras would be included at all. We still don't know the fate of episode commentary, but several sites now agree on the inclusion of interviews and featurettes we've become accustomed to:

• Twist and Shoot - Interviews with the 3 crew members who got to direct episodes
• Don't Try This at Home - A look inside the spectacular stunts
• Long-Term Residents - Featurette highlighting memorable guest stars
• What Up Dawg? - A look at all of the dogs that cast and crew keep around the set
• Scrubs Factor - An on going behind the scenes game of dare between the cast and crew
• Robert Keeps Talking - Third in the series of extended interviews with the cast

January 24, 2006 - Scrubs Turns 100

Nobody thought it would happen, though everyone had the highest hopes -- tonight Scrubs celebrates 100 episodes with "My Way Home," being directed by star Zach Braff. The episode, with a Wizard of Oz theme, will also feature the return of Sam Lloyd's a cappella group The Blanks.

More about the milestone @ HollywoodReporter

December 07, 2005 - Legal Episode Downloads...?

It's been announced that NBC and its affiliate networks are now offering complete video downloads of a lot of their programming on Apple's iTunes . When Scrubs returns in January, it's hoped that it will be included. If so, and if you download your episodes, you might consider obtaining them this way. What better way to display your support for the show? (It needs all the support it can get!)

Keep an eye on the iTunes site in January!

December 01, 2005 - Scrubs Returns January 3!

It started with the dears at Doozer dropping more tentative hints at the IGN video blogs and the CALL-TURK line, and was then backed up by an NBC ad which began airing on Thanksgiving day: Scrubs would return on an unspecified date in January.

Well, today NBC officially announced its midseason schedule, and reportedly also released a new ad, with news that Scrubs not only will grace our screens as early as Tuesday, January 3rd, but will run back to back episodes Tuesdays at 9:00 and 9:30 PM throughout the month, until all shows go on break for the Winter Olympics.

November 29, 2005 - Support Scrubs

Join the campaign to get Scrubs back on the air -- and keep it there. SupportScrubs.com has all the info you need to let your voice be heard! Let NBC know how happy you are that the show is coming back!

October 28, 2005 - Updated - Scrubs in January? November? (October 18th is shot...)

A few e-mails have been coming in to direct us to TV.com's Scrubs page, where the first episode of Season Five, "My Intern's Eyes," is listed to return on Sunday, January 1st.

With NBC, anything is possible, but Sunday would still be a very unlikely night for comedy (unless they've decided to give FOX's animation block a run for its money). So, unless that's the case, and unless the network has decided to put all of its midseason replacements on one night (also highly unlikely), chances are that TV.com's info (which is held in a database, and therefore probably not null-value-friendly) is just a placeholder. Especially since the second episode, "My Rite of Passage," is also listed with a January 1 date, along with many other midseason replacement series listed at the site. (TV.com has since confirmed a bug in their form processing that automatically assigns 01-01-06 to episodes not given an airdate.)

And though Bill Lawrence's first video blog entry at IGN.com has him talking about Scrubs returning in the first few weeks of November, we sadly have our doubts: An October 18th return Bill predicted a month or two ago never panned out, and NBC also has no signs of Scrubs on its schedule for the next couple of weeks.

We hope that a prediction of Scrubs' return will one day come true, but at the moment none of the bubbling rumors look very promising. Stay sane, Scrubbers, and keep your ears to the ground for further news.

October 26, 2005 - Win S1 on DVD

If you still haven't gotten around to getting your copy of Scrubs Season One on DVD (Region 1), MOPNT has a few copies left to give away. There are a couple ways to enter, so look here for all the details.

October 26, 2005 - Pick an Ad, Win S2

Hypemakers is back to promote Season Two on DVD (Region 1 available Nov. 15), and once again they want the fans' help in picking the TV ads. Here's the official release:

Tell us what you think for the chance to win a free copy of SCRUBS SEASON 2 on DVD!
We want your vote! SCRUBS Season 2 will be available on DVD November 15 and we want your help in choosing the TV commercial to use for this hilarious new release! Just watch 3 TV commercials and complete the short survey, and you will have the chance to instantly win Scrubs Season 2 on DVD! Click here to go to the survey!

J.D. (Braff) returns for his second year at Sacred Heart Hospital, filled with new relationships, medical mistakes and the intimidating janitor. Scrubs Season 2 features all 22 episodes of the second season and includes the original and unedited music. There are guest stars galore and a line-up of never-before-seen, outrageous bonus features, including: a one on one interview with John C. McGinley, audio commentaries with cast and creator, deleted scenes, alternate lines, stunt casting, outtakes, a featurette on the show's music, and much more!

September 30, 2005 - Rare Walk-On Opportunity

There have been many charity walk-on roles offered for auction on eBay lately, each selling for thousands of dollars, but SIDS of Pennsylvania is taking a different approach for awarding its Scrubs walk-on role: A raffle.

This is a wonderful opportunity for both the fans of the show and the charity -- if enough people buy a ticket, a mere $5 each ($20 for 5), the total money raised could surpass anything an auction might generate from just one person.

In addition to the walk-on role and day of fun on the Scrubs set, the prize includes 2 round-trip tickets to LA, 5 nights of hotel accommodations, and a makeover to get you "camera-ready." You can't pass this up! Order your tickets NOW by calling toll-free 1-800-PA1-SIDS (1-800-721-7437).

The prize will be awarded at the 2nd Annual UPMC SCRUBS Star Happy Hour Party, October 14th, 5-9PM, at Margarita Mama's in Station Square in Pittsburgh, PA. You don't have to be there to win, but it could be a really fun night if you're in the area!

All the details @ SIDS-PA.org

September 23, 2005 - Scrubs Action Plan

As we all know, NBC has kept Scrubs off its Fall schedule, with no clear indication of when the show will return beyond the vague "sometime midseason." And though there have been rumors that we might see Season Five as early as this October, some fans are planning to let NBC know their feelings in a very clear way: This week, September 26-30, a number of Scrubbers will dress in Scrubs shirts & caps and create signs supporting the show, and will stand at the window of NBC's Today Show in hopes of getting on camera. A big enough crowd just may do it, so if you can be in NYC on any of those five days this week, try to get to the corner of 49th and Rockefeller Center before dawn so you can get a good spot -- reportedly the southeast corner, which is behind the anchor desk -- and look for your fellow Scrubs nuts!

More info @ The Official Message Board

September 22, 2005 - Emmy Results

Unfortunately, both Zach Braff and Scrubs lost their respective awards at last Sunday's awards ceremony; however, it's great that they were nominated at all! And again, we openly extend our congratulations to John Michel for his win at the Creative Arts ceremony for Best Multi-Camera Picture Editing in a Series -- the first Emmy for the show.

Might we suggest keeping the trophy in the background on set, to subliminally influence academy members for next year? Just an idea....

September 12, 2005 - Creative Arts Emmys Update

Zach Braff was joined by Sarah Chalke in presenting at last night's awards ceremony.

Of the two Creative Emmys Scrubs was nominated for, it lost Casting to Desperate Housewives, but won its first Emmy for Multi-Camera Picture Editing for "My Life in Four Cameras," which ironically is a format totally atypical of the show.

You can catch a broadcast of the ceremony this Saturday, Sept. 17th, on E!

And don't forget, Scrubs' other two Emmy chances -- the biggies, Best Comedy and Best Comedy Actor (Zach Braff) -- will be announced during a live broadcast next Sunday, Sept. 18th, on CBS.

September 11, 2005 - Creative Arts Emmys

Zach Braff will be one of the presenters at the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony, being held tonight, during which two of Scrubs' four nominated categories will be awarded. The show will be broadcast this Saturday, Sept. 17th, on E!

The next day, Sept. 18th, the "big awards" will be presented during a live telecast on CBS.

August 9, 2005 - Repeats Return to NBC

Though NBC had pulled Scrubs from its schedule at the close of last season, with no clear indication of when it would return, the network is dragging out its emergency band-aid yet again -- this time to plug the hole left by just-yanked reality series The Law Firm from Thursday nights.

This week, August 11th, will feature the rerun of "My Best Laid Plans" at 9:30 PM (E/P). From there (for the moment anyway) we can expect back-to-back repeats Thursdays at 9:00 and 9:30 PM until The Apprentice's returns to the slot on September 22nd.

More @ LATimes.com

August 8, 2005 - John C. Hosts TV Special

John C. McGinley will host this year's Museum of Television and Radio special, Unforgettable Moments in TV Entertainment. The 90-minute program airs this week, Wednesday, August 10th at 8:30-10:00 PM (E/P) on NBC.

More @ NBCUMV

July 31, 2005 - Season Two DVD: Finally Confirmed

TVShowsOnDVD.com today posted a press release from Buena Vista, officially announcing what we've known for a while: The Scrubs Season Two DVD (Region 1) will be released on November 15th. Of particular interest in the release is the promise that the music is original and unedited.

Additionally, it is rumored that there will be another BestBuy exclusive bonus disc for this set. Keep visiting for further developments.

July 23, 2005 - Season Two DVD: Closer to Real

Amazon.com has finally stepped up as the first online retailer with a Region 1 release date for the second season DVD set, echoing the rumors we've been hearing of November 15th. This date is also reflected in a post to the DVD MySpace page, apparently run by Genevieve of Buena Vista online promotions. Similarly, Amazon.co.uk joins Play.com and CDwow.com with a mid-late September release date for the Region 2 set.

We continue waiting for an official announcement from Buena Vista Home Entertainment, but with spreading news becoming more conclusive, we hardly really need it.

July 21, 2005 - Season Two DVD Confirmation?

Despite our reliable internet source, who so accurately gave us the Season One release date some eight months in advance, undermining the TVShowsOnDVD.com Season Two release date with an October 4th hint, another site, IFmagazine.com is claiming confirmation from Buena Vista of the November 15th Season Two release. However, they seem to be the only one, since Amazon and other dependable retailers have yet to give any indication of even the existence of a Season Two set, much less any sort of anticipated ship date. We'll do our best to keep tabs on this, and look forward to hearing from any of you who might know of any further developments.

July 18, 2005 - Season Two DVD Rumors

Starting about a month ago, various U.K. DVD retail sites have been posting the Scrubs: The Complete Second Season release as various dates in September. We're still not sure how reliable those dates are, but a more dependable source, TVShowsOnDVD.com, has posted a tip they received that the U.S. release date will be November 15. Buena Vista Home Entertainment (the Scrubs DVD distributor) have yet to confirm this.

Meanwhile, Play.com has posted a list of bonus materials and a picture of the proposed S2 DVD cover.

More info in MOPNT's DVD section.

July 15, 2005 - Join Team Scrubs

Practically since Day One Scrubs has been very generous to various charities, the latest cause benefiting from their philanthropic spirit being Multiple Sclerosis. Team Scrubs, a cycling team comprised of various Scrubs cast, crew and friends, including assistant director Franklyn Gottbetter and star Robert Maschio, is currently auctioning off a few walk-on roles on eBay in an attempt to raise money to "scrub out MS."

Additionally, to anyone who makes a mere $100+ donation to Franklyn in the MS 150 Bay to Bay Bike Tour, he has very generously offered to send a signed Scrubs item. And if that's still too much, a donation of any value will get you a Team Scrubs sticker, fresh off the presses. So come on, Scrubs fans -- give a little, get a lot, including the satisfaction of helping out your fellow man.

TeamScrubs.org

Sponsor Franklyn Gottbetter

Signed Item Offer

July 15, 2005 - Emmy Reactions and Season 5 News

Though the recent Emmy nominations have come as good news for the Scrubs gang, making it much nicer to go to work on a new season which isn't even featured on the NBC fall lineup, the Best Comedy nods have caused a little sibling rivalry between our show and ABC's Desperate Housewives, both produced by Touchstone Television. Says Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence: "I find Desperate Housewives to be a great late-night soap, and it's going to crush in the comedy Emmys as an hour-long show that's not a comedy, and it's not that fair." In another interview, Lawrence made the point even clearer: "It's an honor to be nominated with those three other great comedies (Arrested Development, Everybody Loves Raymond and Will & Grace) and that drama-soap opera," he said. "I find The West Wing to have more jokes in it." It's assumed Touchstone submitted Housewives in the Comedy category so as to stand a decent chance against the supposedly weak competition in this age of "the dying sitcom," a label Lawrence is staunchly against.

Whatever the reason for Scrubs' recent Emmy windfall, be it the lack of stiff competition from past academy faves Friends, Frasier, and Sex and the City, the network's treatment of the show giving it the underdog status that draws voter sympathy, or just sticking around long enough to finally prove its worth, the Doozer crew hopes the attention will translate into better treatment down the road...or maybe even in the near future: "It's got to be embarrassing for NBC," Lawrence says. "They put other shows on the air and they didn't seem to get nominations. Maybe this will shame NBC to put [Scrubs] back on earlier."

And if it doesn't? After four years of NBC's shenanigans, which current prez Kevin Reilly owned up to in a recent article, Lawrence is quite realistic about the position he's in in serving two masters, corporate rivals Disney/Touchstone and GE/NBC. Like many, based on history Bill predicts Scrubs to return as a "band-aid" whenever one of NBC's fall babies "craters," and he therefore isn't interested in jumping through any more network hoops in Season Five (which picks up shooting Aug. 29), specifically with stunt-casting. Lawrence told TV Guide's Mike Ausiello: "That is something NBC always pushes you to do, and you do it because you worry about being pulled during sweeps or not [being] promoted if you don't do it. But that's going to happen to us anyway, so we're just going to do whatever the hell we want to do."

However, one guest star they're working on securing for at least one episode is Zach Braff "pal" Mandy Moore. Hey, as long as it's their choice, we're all for it.

Read more...

Bill Lawrence on Housewives: Earthtimes & Reuters

Lawrence and Braff on Emmy Attention: CalendarLive & Reuters

Lawrence on Season Five: TV Guide

July 14, 2005 - Syndication News

Scrubs syndication rumors have been bubbling for a while, with most concrete word about selling for 2006 cropping up last February. Now we finally have official word that cable network Comedy Central has snapped up all four seasons of Scrubs, with the plan to add the upcoming fifth season to their order as well. Expect reruns to hit CC in fall of next year, possibly in multiple timeslots.

More @ Reuters

July 14, 2005 - Emmy Noms -- Finally!

After years of the deserved though predictable casting nominations, Scrubs has finally earned a little respect in the form of four total Emmy noms, including the biggie Best Comedy:

• Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series - Brent Benner & Debby Romano
• Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Series - John Michel, "My Life in Four Cameras"
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Zach Braff
• Outstanding Comedy Series (against Desperate Housewives, Will & Grace, Everybody Loves Raymond, and last year's winner, Arrested Development)

The technical awards will be presented on September 11, 2005, and the telecast of the major awards presentation will air Sunday, September 18 on CBS.

We congratulate everyone at Scrubs for their wonderful nominations and wish them the best of luck. And, of course, we once again join John C. McGinley in shaking our heads in confusion.

July 14, 2005 - Syndication News

Scrubs syndication rumors have been bubbling for a while, with most concrete word about selling for 2006 cropping up last February. Now we finally have official word that cable network Comedy Central has snapped up all four seasons of Scrubs, with the plan to add the upcoming fifth season to their order as well. Expect reruns to hit CC in fall of next year, possibly in multiple timeslots.

More @ Reuters

May 18, 2005 - Season Five...When?

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side!

Why did the peacock put off Scrubs? Well, make up your own punchline here, because no one really knows.

A fifth season of Scrubs is definitely a go -- has been since March of last year -- the question however is when we'll get to see it. At the advertiser upfronts held on Monday, NBC announced that Scrubs (along with Fear Factor) would "return at some point," most likely around midseason. This news of course caused a bit of panic for the fans, with the word "cancelled" being hissed in various corners of the internet.

Scrubs is not getting cancelled.

Various news outlets have relayed NBC prez Kevin Reilly's explanation that the wait is to accommodate Zach Braff's crazy-busy schedule shooting two movies this summer (Last Kiss, filming now, and Fast Track, principal filming starting in July). But TV Guide's Mike Ausiello reports that that's just not true: "A source close to the show claims production on the new season will begin on schedule in August. 'Zach is shooting two movies this summer, but it won't delay production,' groans the insider. 'No one knows why Kevin said that.'"

May 16, 2005 - DVD!

Not long now! In fact, some copies have even been mailed out early, so chances are that if you preordered, you're already enjoying the Scrubsy goodness! For those in other countries, we're gradually receiving word of alternate region release dates. Full details in MOPNT's new DVD info section.