The revival of sitcom Scrubs has been met with largely positive reviews, with critics praising the show for retaining its appeal despite a 16 year absence.
The comedy, which stars Zach Braff as loveable doctor J.D., debuted in 2001 and ran for eight seasons, becoming a ratings hit and winning two Emmys. A ninth season arrived in 2010, which introduced a new cast of medical interns with Braff in a supporting role. That season was unpopular with fans, many of whom consider it outside of the show’s canon.
A reboot, bringing back the original cast including Braff, Donald Faison, and Sarah Chalke, was announced in December 2024, and debuts today (February 25) on the ABC network in America, and Disney+ in the UK. The first batch of reviews have arrived, with the new season scoring an impressive 92 per cent on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, and critics largely welcoming back the show.
IGN’s Jesse Schedeen stated: “Scrubs had a good, long run in the early ‘00s, but it’s clear there’s still more room on that runway. The series hardly misses a beat as it makes its long-overdue return to ABC. As before, the series is carried by the incredible, childlike chemistry of its leads and that ever-charming blend of goofy sitcom antics and darker medical drama.
The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Hogan enthused: “Despite the decade-and-a-half gap, it rolls back the years and recaptures the old magic. No need to seek a second opinion… Scrubs retains its sparky mix of screwball dialogue, physical slapstick and surreal fantasies. These are punctuated by soppy bits that stay just the right side of saccharine. Snappy 22-minute episodes never outstay their welcome.”
Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com wrote: “Yes, a lot of the 2026 Scrubs hinges on lingering affection for the original, but the show doesn’t really lean on references as much as act as if it never left the air. And with the popularity of Lawrence’s culture-referential and self-deprecating sense of humor in the 2020s, the timing seems more natural than a standard cash grab. The new cast is fun, the old cast slides back in where you left them, and the laughs come more regularly than most of the newest network TV sitcoms.”
The Hollywood Reporter had a more subdued take, with critic Daniel Feinberg writing: “If you want Scrubs back, but want it back the way it existed through its first eight seasons — with acknowledgement of the passage of time, but no real maturation — then the first four episodes of the reboot deliver roughly what you want. Definitely not more. But probably not less. If, however, you thought the way Scrubs concluded after eight seasons was close to ideal, and that the need for a major paradigm shift was the reason the ninth season remained valid, then the reboot feels like a regression — a creative step backwards.”
Scrubs isn’t the only past show returning to the air, with NME’s list of TV shows to look forward to in 2026 including reboots of both Malcolm In The Middle and Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
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