Scrubsis a fantastic TV show that blends humor and drama beautifully, and there are plenty of other titles that have the same feel. With theScrubsrevivalconfirmed and underway, it’s worth considering which other TV shows viewers should check out while waiting for its upcoming release. As one ofthe best sitcoms of all time,Scrubsis remembered for its equally lighthearted and darker moments, a quality that only certain other shows successfully replicate.
These TV shows balance comedy and seriousness through their respective characters and storylines.However, this isn’t the only factor that makes these shows worthy of being compared toScrubs. Some brilliantly use internal monologues as narration, rely on dark humor to get through the tough times, and delve into difficult topics in unique ways, too. While audiences speculate overpredictions for the upcomingScrubsrevival, these other TV shows will help tide them over until then.
The Good Place
Cast
Eleanor Shellstrop finds in The Good Place, both the name of the fantasy comedy series from creator Michael Schur and a fictionalized heaven where those who have done good in life will end up. However, Eleanor discovers that the life she was believed to have led was a lie, as it seems The Good Place got the wrong “Eleanor Shellstrop.” When it’s revealed that three others are there under the same false pretenses, they concoct a plan to truly become “Good” to earn their place there - while hiding the truth.
The Good Placemakes viewers laugh out loud and cry, sometimes in the same scene.The hit show contains an amazing ensemble cast of strong characters, all of whom are very talented when it comes to physical comedy.The Good Place’s true meaning and messageis overly philosophical and quite complex, but it doesn’t make audiences feel stupid, something thatScrubsis also known for.
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Trying to understand the fairness of life and death is a painful topic, but likeScrubs,The Good Placedoesn’t try to glorify the passing of someone important.The Good Placecomes from the mind of Michael Schur, who is a legend in the world of sitcoms, and there are a lot of parallels between his work and that ofScrubscreator Bill Lawrence, too. Both showrunners create hilarious duos in their characters, and there are so many to choose from inThe Good Place, from Eleanor and Michael to Janet and Michael.
Jane the Virgin
Loosely based on a Venezuelan telenovela, Jane the Virgin follows a young Latina woman, Jane, who despite being a virgin, falls pregnant after being artificially inseminated by mistake. The comedy-drama chronicles her relationships, pregnancy, and motherhood.
Jane the Virginis anamazing TV show with a latinx lead, and there are a lot of similarities between the fiery character of Xiomara andScrubs’ Carla.There is an interesting mix of representation within romantic and familial relationships inJane the Virginthat can be compared to storylines inScrubsas well. Like J.D. with Sammy,Jane the Virgin’s Rogelio recognizes he can be a good father to Baby without being in a relationship with her mother, and he sacrifices a lot in order to be a present parent in his daughter’s life.
Jane the Virginmay be very telenovela and sometimes over-the-top, but it also covers serious topics in between moments of hilarity.
The strong female friendship that grows and develops between Carla and Elliot is similar to Jane and Petra’s,and it’s great to see the pair go from polar opposites to each other’s rock.Jane the Virgin’s best quotes about life and lovecomes from the narrator, whose true identity isn’t revealed until the finale, and although it’s not quite the same as J.D.’s internal monologue, it still offers an interesting insight on the events of the show.Jane the Virginmay be very telenovela and sometimes over-the-top, but it also covers serious topics in between moments of hilarity.
Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso is an American football coach who moves to England, hired to manage a struggling soccer team, despite having no experience. With cynical players and a doubtful town, Ted will have to convince them that he’s fit for the job.
Although there are hopes and rumors ofTed Lassoseason 4, there are currently only three installments of the show to watch, but that’s more than enough to keep viewers entertained. The Apple TV+ hit is another title from Bill Lawrence, and every show of his has a wholesome atmosphere that makes it instantly loveable. The titular character and J.D. share several personality traits. For example,J.D. and Ted are both charismatic, but their ability to talk often gets them into trouble.There are also parallels in the supporting characters, too.
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Nate starts off as a bumbling and unpopular figure at Richmond F.C., and although his villainous storyline doesn’t do him justice, it’s still great to see his growth. This is similar to Doug’s character arc.While he’s a terrible intern, when he finds his talents working in the morgue, he becomes a success.Roy Kent’s best moments inTed Lassocould easily be written for Dr. Cox with the football context removed, and they’re both brilliant grumpy mentor figures in their respective shows.
Shrinking
In this series, a therapist grappling with personal tragedy begins to employ a radically candid approach with his clients and in his personal life. As he navigates his roles as a father, friend, and professional, his newfound method leads to unexpected consequences and self-discovery.
Not only isTed Lasso’s Brett Goldstein one ofShrinking’s co-creators, but he also stars in the show, too.Shrinking’s dark comedy beautifully tackles the fallout of grief from the points of view of many, something that some ofScrubs’ best episodesdo brilliantly as well. Tia’s death impacts her family and friends in various ways, but they take one day at a time and carry on with life, just like the employees at Sacred Heart do.
Shrinkingfocuses on therapists, rather than hospital doctors, but there is still a clear medical link between the two shows. There are loads of parallels betweenShrinkingandScrubs, especially with their characters.Paul is the veteran of the group and is the go-to guy for advice, just like Cox,J.D. and Jimmy both attempt to switch up their approach to their respective fields for the sake of their patients, and Jordan and Liz have hard exteriors with soft underbellies.Shrinkingseason 3is already highly anticipated, and hopefully more comparisons between it andScrubswill become apparent.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
From the creative minds of Dan Goor and Michael Schur comes Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a police comedy series set in the NYPD’s fictional 99th precinct. Headed by the comedically serious Captain Raymond Holt and protagonist Jake Peralta, the detectives of the 99 deal with burglaries, drug deals, and oddities in New York City, occasionally steering into real-world issues surrounding police perception and social concerns in the 2010s and earlier. Each detective has their own unique personality that makes them stand out, creating endearing dynamics that helped the show thrive for eight seasons.
Brooklyn Nine-Ninehas one of the strongest and most diverse ensemble casts in TV history.In a world in which the characters are real, J.D. and Jake Peralta would absolutely be friends.The two leads are both committed to their jobs, and are technically very good at them, but this doesn’t mean that they take every moment of their lives seriously.The most powerful episodes ofBrooklyn Nine-Nineare still hilarious, undoubtedly, but each one ensures that the topic at hand is always handled respectfully and realistically.
The worlds of policing and medical emergencies are dark places, butlikeScrubs,Brooklyn Nine-Nineoffers a comedic take on situations that aren’t typically funny.In fact,Scrubs’ John C. McGinley portrays the ignorant head of the Police Union, Frank O’Sullivan, inBrooklyn Nine-Nine’s season 8 arc, which focuses on the real-life issue of police brutality. Although things likeBrooklyn Nine-Nine’s Halloween Heist episodes, for example, provide plenty of laughs, the show never forgets its core motivation, likeScrubs.
Cougar Town
Cougar Town is a comedy about Jules Cobb, a mother in her forties, navigating the humorous ups and downs of middle age. Set in a small town, the series explores her life with her son, ex-husband, and a quirky group of friends who form a supportive yet unconventional extended family.
Many don’t initially recognize the connections between Bill Lawrence’sCougar TownandScrubs, but there are a lot of similarities between the two.The most obvious parallel is theCougar Towncast, which featuresScrubs’Christa Miller, Sarah Chalke, and Ken Jenkins, to name a few, as main and supporting characters. In fact,Ted the Lawyer appears in bothScrubsandCougar Town, so the two shows technically share a universe.
However, the factCougar Townborrows actors fromScrubsisn’t the only reason why the shows feel the same.
Bill Lawrence’s sense of humor is apparent inCougar Town,and there’s a great balance between the jokes being nice and straight-out horrible. The character development can be compared toScrubs, too. Jules begins as someone who is hesitant to embrace her new lifestyle, but she later fits into it perfectly, which is similar to Elliot’s early character arc inScrubs. Grayson is often considered a perfect blend of J.D. and Turk’s characters, and Ellie is essentially a slightly kinder version of Jordan. Although the stories are very different, the heart ofScrubsandCougar Townare the same.
Superstore
Superstore is a workplace sitcom following the employees of the St. Louis branch of a fictional big-box store. Cloud 9 sells everything anyone could ever possibly need, but its workers often leave much to be desired. Trying to organize their lives around the demanding world of retail work, Cloud 9’s staff more often end up having fun than they do working.
Superstoredoes an incredible job of depicting the dramas, as well as the mundaneness, of working the same job for long hours day in, day out.Scrubssees its characters face a lot of the same things on every shift, yet something is always different. This is an accurate way to describe working in retail, too.TheSuperstorecharacters can relate to those inScrubsbecause they know how it feels to be constantly working, only to be ridiculously underappreciated and underpaid,despite the extreme efforts they go to.
Jonah and Amy’s relationship inSuperstoreis similar to J.D. and Elliot’s in some ways.The pair often bicker in earlier episodes, and their personalities clash on paper, but as time goes on, they start to appreciate the best parts of each other. The comic timing and visual gags inSuperstoreare similar to that inScrubsas well, and these qualities play a significant part in the success of the two shows. Even though the context and settings of both TV shows are wildly different, the humor of working in a store versus a hospital is rather similar.
St. Denis Medical
St. Denis Medical follows a diverse team of doctors and nurses at an underfunded Oregon hospital as they manage patient care and maintain camaraderie amid challenging circumstances.
AlthoughSt. Denis Medicalseason 1is still airing, the initial episodes are already presenting similarities toScrubs. The biggest difference between the two is thatSt. Denis Medicalis a mockumentary, although it can be argued that J.D.’s narration provides additional exposition that the documentary-style format also gives.Matt’s unreciprocated crush on Serena is similar to J.D. and Elliot inScrubsat times,and the fact she thinks the new nurse won’t last is very much like Carla’s initial attitude toward Elliot.
The uncomfortableness shows that even in a comedy, bad things can happen, and a break from the laughter is integral for the overall tone.
One slight criticism ofSt. Denis Medicalis that some jokes fall flat in moments of seriousness.However, J.D. often does things like this, too, and if anything, it highlights the importance of the events.The uncomfortableness shows that even in a comedy, bad things can happen, and a break from the laughter is integral for the overall tone. Despite this, the dynamics and hilarious rapports between characters inSt. Denis Medicalhave a similar feel toScrubs, and as the new TV show continues to air, there are opportunities for it to grow even more.
BoJack Horseman
Once the famous star of a hit sitcom, BoJack Horseman has fallen on tough times. Stuck in a major career slump and longing to relive his glory days, BoJack attempts to once more become relevant in an industry that has long since turned its back on him. With a few dysfunctional friends at his side, BoJack begins his long-overdue career comeback.
AlthoughBoJack Horseman’s tone is generally more somber thanScrubs, the use of dark humor definitely creates a similar feeling to Lawrence’s medical comedy TV show.The best episodes ofBoJack Horsemanhighlights the harsh realities of mental health and substance abuse, and likeScrubs, it focuses on the events that lead to these issues, rather than just shaming them.ScrubsandBoJack Horseman’s darker moments both come unexpectedly, which makes them even more impactful,especially when it’s wedged in between a comical line of dialogue or gag.
BoJack Horseman’s best quotesare full of wisdom and fantastic life advice, and they often arrive in moments of clarity, somethingScrubsachieves well, too. Even though the patients inScrubsare typically part of the story-of-the-week format, there are some that return, like Jill Tracy.BoJack Horsemanalso has supporting characters who reappear periodically, and like withScrubs, the stories of these people are easy to invest in.When they do come back, viewers are happy to see them, but they’re also on edge and fear for the fate of these characters.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Created by and starring Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girfriend is a comedy series about Rebecca Bunch, a high-powered New York City lawyer who suddenly decides to uproot her life and move to small-town California after a chance encounter with her ex-boyfriend Josh, played by Vincent Rodriguez III. As Rebecca begins to build her new life in West Covina and attempts to win Josh back, she must contend with several obstacles to her dreams including Josh’s current girlfriend, the disapproval of her mother, and the ever-evolving idea of what she actually wants her life to look like.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriendis comparable toScrubs,specifically through the musical numbers and daydream sequences. J.D. inScrubsfrequently dwells on the hypotheticals, something thatCrazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Rebecca also does. Even though there is only one musical episode ofScrubs, season 6’s “My Musical,”Crazy Ex-Girlfriendoffers a song and dance number in most installments.Rachel Bloom’s TV show is brilliantly comical but contains storylines that focus on darker themes, and while it’s definitely more somber thanScrubs, it also feels lighthearted.
MostTV shows with an ensemble castdon’t typically have a singular character that pushes the narrative forward with their particular point of view, which is whyScrubsis so unique. AlthoughCrazy Ex-Girlfriendhas a main character in Rebecca Bunch, her friends and colleagues are just as important to the story, and so it’s easy to see how the characters are similar to theScrubscast. Amongst the hilarious gags and slapstick comedy, there’s a lot of wisdom and life lessons, which is exactly what works aboutScrubs, too.
Scrubs
Scrubs is a Sitcom and Medical Comedy/Drama created by Bill Lawrence that follows a group of medical students throughout their daily lives at the Sacred Heart Teaching Hospital. The series stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison, as they work their way up from Medical Interns while juggling all sorts of hospital shenanigans.
