A hugely popular series from the 2000s is back on streaming with a new season and the original cast that made it so beloved

For 8 seasons, “Scrubs” was between 2001 and 2009 one of the most popular comedy series produced by Hollywood. Then the actors who made it so beloved left one by one in a season that was supposed to “reset” the series and make way for a new cast. It was so poorly received by fans that the 9th season of “Scrubs” was also the last, as CNN recalls.

The new season of “Scrubs” premiered Wednesday in the United States on ABC television, which aired the first two episodes back-to-back. As ABC is one of the many names in the Disney portfolio, this means that in Romania the new season can be seen in streaming on Disney+, which comes with a new episode every Thursday. For subscribers with Romanian account settings, the series is translated as “Interns”.

Interestingly, Disney+ chose to make it available on its platform as a separate title, not as a continuation of the 9 seasons of the original series. In fact, in some releases it is presented as “Scrubs 2026”.

“I was just trying to figure out what the version of JD would look like — 50-year-old father, great teacher — and be authentic, but still be kind of childish and goofy, which I think I am in real life,” Zach Braff, “Dr. John Dorian,” explained in an interview with CNN.

The cast of “Scrubs” is back for the reunion fans have been dreaming of

Braff, who has advocated for a “Scrubs” return for years to get revenge on fans disappointed by the series finale, was unsurprisingly the first of the original cast to be co-opted on board for the new “reboot” last May.

The famous friendship between JD and Turk, played by actor Donald Faison, remains a central component in the new series as well. Braff and Faison are close friends off set as well, appearing in T-Mobile commercials together and collaborating on the “Fake Doctors, Real Friends” podcast.

“I think one of the reasons 'Scrubs' worked is because Donald and I resonated instantly. And obviously with Sarah [Chalke, „dr. Elliot Reid”]we liked and understood each other from the first,” Braff also said.

For Faison, stepping back into the shoes of Turk — the beloved surgeon who, for nearly a decade, formed one half of television's craziest pair of friends — was like riding a bike. “By the time I got to the end of the street, I was already doing schemes and all kinds of tricks,” Faison told CNN.

In addition to the two for the new “Scrubs”, Sarah Chalke also returned as Elliot, forming the team of main actors of the series. But the new season brought back more familiar faces to fans, including John C. McGinley as Dr. Cox and Judy Reyes as Nurse Carla.

The premise of the new 'Scrubs'

American filmmaker Bill Lawrence, the creator of the original series, was the one who set it all up and confirmed last January that “Scrubs” would indeed return, after rumors to that effect appeared in the Hollywood press.

However, not all things remained the same. JD, now divorced from Elliot, returns to Sacred Heart Hospital to take over as Chief of Medicine as Dr. Cox retires. The characters have evolved and medicine has changed since “Scrubs” ended in 2010.

Lawrence and Aseem Batra, executive producer of the new series, confirmed that the new production ignores the ninth season, which CNN describes as a “spin-off in which few of the original actors appeared”.

Batra says the new 'Scrubs' is making serious efforts to make the show relevant in 2026, while retaining the essence of the classic episodes, which blended comedy with emotion

“Veterans” and newcomers to the series broadcast by the Disney+ streaming platform

CNN notes that for the younger cast members, being the new “newbies” could have been intimidating, with some joking that they were only a year old when the original series premiered. But the show's veterans made an effort to welcome everyone with open arms. Braff, for example, organized dinners every Saturday night for the cast.

“We'd go on set, do our thing, and every Saturday we'd get together and socialize over a drink and laugh, and the director of the episode would usually come with us,” said Layla Mohammadi, who plays Amara, a surgical resident.

“It felt like I was in college again,” said Ava Bunn, who plays Sam Tosh, the always-online resident physician — or “TikTok Doc,” as Dr. Cox calls her. “It was a lot of fun.”

The new generation of characters also includes Jacob Dudman and David Gridley as residents Asher and Blake, as well as Amanda Morrow as surgical resident Dashana. “They bring that new energy, reflecting the changes in the medical industry, but also total transparency and no apology in the way they approach their work,” Morrow said.

“People who watched it with their parents and now have children of their own”

Some of the show's established characters offer a more cynical perspective. “It's the same group of mediocrity,” McGinley paraphrased the grumpy Cox's feelings about teaching a new generation of residents.

Braff said fans who have been waiting for the return have written to him on Instagram about the show's connection to their own families and lives — “people who watched it with their parents and now have kids of their own.”

“I think there are a lot of people who grew up with the show and it meant a lot to them,” he said. “I think if we get it right, they'll be happy to see it again and share it with their kids.”