ABC's Scrubs Revival: Everything We Know
Time to scrub back in.
ABC's "Scrubs" revival marks the medical comedy's 10th season overall, bringing familiar faces back to Sacred Heart while introducing a new generation of interns. Though the series ended its original run in 2010, the revival is designed to stand on its own — honoring what came before without being beholden to every creative choice made along the way.
"My hope would be that we establish where everybody from [the original show] is," series creator Bill Lawrence previously told TVLine, "whether they're still with us at the hospital or not."
The revival is produced by 20th Television, with Lawrence returning as an executive producer. However, because he is under an overall deal with Warner Bros., he is not serving as showrunner. Instead, longtime "Scrubs" writer Aseem Batra is overseeing the series.
What follows is a chronological breakdown of everything we know.
A brief history of Scrubs
"Scrubs" premiered on NBC in 2001, chronicling John "J.D." Dorian's rise from idealistic intern to seasoned attending physician at Sacred Heart Hospital. After seven seasons, the series moved to ABC for Season 8, which Lawrence had long intended as the final season.
ABC later extended the show for a ninth season, subtitled "Med School," shifting the focus to a new group of interns led by Kerry Bishé's Lucy Bennett. That season introduced new characters and settings, and while it remains part of the franchise's history, it appears it is no longer considered canon.
"I feel like if you call it like an Elseworld or a multiverse-type situation," Donald Faison told Esquire. "I like to look at Season 9 as a multiverse story, like a different universe."
The original ensemble consisted of Zach Braff, Faison, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, John C. McGinley, Neil Flynn, and Ken Jenkins, with recurring players Christa Miller, Robert Maschio, and the late Sam Lloyd. Season 9 additions included Bishé, Michael Mosley, Dave Franco, and Eliza Coupe.
Who is returning?
Several core cast members are back at Sacred Heart:
- Zach Braff (J.D.), Donald Faison (Dr. Christopher Turk) and Sarah Chalke (Dr. Elliot Reid) return as series regulars
- Judy Reyes (Nurse Carla Espinosa) and John C. McGinley (Dr. Perry Cox) recur
- Robert Maschio (The Todd) and Phill Lewis (Hooch) guest-star
Who is new?
"Scrubs" Season 10 introduces a new crop of Sacred Heart staff and interns.
Vanessa Bayer joins the cast as Sibby, who runs a wellness program for the hospital's faculty and staff, while Joel Kim Booster plays attending physician Dr. Eric Park. Both recur.
The new intern class includes Ava Bunn (Serena), Jacob Dudman (Asher), David Gridley (Blake), Layla Mohammadi (Amara) and Amanda Morrow (Dashana).
Additional recurring roles include Michael James Scott as "young, judgmental and fun" co-charge nurse Francois Dubois and X Mayo as "sarcastic, gossipy" co-charge nurse Pippa Raymond.
Will the Janitor and Kelso return?
Two fan favorites — Neil Flynn's Janitor and Ken Jenkins' Dr. Bob Kelso — are not currently guaranteed to appear during the revival's initial nine-episode order.
In a recent interview, Braff stressed that their absence would not be due to lack of interest, but rather to story logistics and timing.
"The true answer is, if we're blessed to have a second season, absolutely," Braff said. "The real answer for Season 1 is that we're not fully sure yet. Episodes 8 and 9 of the nine-episode order are still being written."
He added, "They're both interested in doing it. But do we have the bandwidth in the first nine episodes to get to it all and service a story that would be worthy of Ken and Neil?"
Lawrence has similarly expressed hope that the revival will eventually establish where both characters are now — whether or not they're still at Sacred Heart.
How the revival honors the late Sam Lloyd
The "Scrubs" revival will pay tribute to Sam Lloyd, who portrayed Sacred Heart's eternally unlucky lawyer Ted Buckland. Lloyd died in 2020 at age 56.
According to Zach Braff, the new season includes an ongoing homage — a bar frequented by the characters named Lloyd's Tavern.
"That was the production designer's idea, which I thought was beautiful," Braff said. "We love Sam; we miss him. It's hard to do this show without him."
What is the Scrubs revival about?
Unlike "Med School," which passed the narrative torch to a new protagonist, "Scrubs" Season 10 is told exclusively from J.D.'s perspective, and begins with J.D. and Turk front and center.
Braff has said the revival aims to retain the original series' humor and heart while reflecting the realities of modern medicine — and of doctors who "beaten down by the system" over time. Lawrence echoed that sentiment in a previous interview with TVLine:
"The hardest part is that Zach and Donald have aged," he said with a laugh. "If I saw two guys in their late 40s or early 50s doing 'World's Most Giant Doctor,' I'd go, 'What the f–k is going on?' To see what that friendship looks like at their age, and take a comedic look at what medicine has become since those kids started out as interns, and see how our people deal with it and try to remain optimistic — that's the goal."
The official ABC logline reads: "J.D. and Turk scrub in together for the first time in a long time. Medicine has changed, interns have changed, but their bromance has stood the test of time."
When does the Scrubs revival premiere?
"Scrubs" premieres Wednesday, February 25 at 8 p.m., with back-to-back episodes airing on ABC. Episodes stream next day on Hulu. Watch the trailer below, then leave a comment and let us know if you're excited to return to Sacred Heart.