Scrubs season 10 review: New reboot is much better than it has any right to be

Looking back, Scrubs was always a little bit cringe. That's not to say it was bad though, not by any means.

The medical sitcom was once hugely popular thanks to its combination of rapid-fire one-liners and terrific chemistry that would suddenly give way to devastating emotional turns which hit hard, but never felt out of place. The fantasy cut-aways were more touch-and-go, however – something to sit through rather than actively enjoy.

That didn't matter so much at first, not when the overall show worked as well as it did.

Later seasons began to drop the ball though, skirting around the character development that reeled us in with broader gags that lost sight of why Scrubs became so popular in the first place. This felt especially pronounced following a network move from NBC to ABC where the central quartet, our main reason for watching, were sidelined completely in favour of new, less interesting doctors.

A decade and a half on, Scrubs is the latest millennial show to inevitably be revived, but why should we care about a show that flatlined for good reason when we can just rewatch the original again?

After the writers quickly conjure up a way to bring JD (Zach Braff) back to working at Sacred Heart, the new episodes feel like more of the same at first, except everyone is a little older.

Carla (Judy Reyes) still calls JD "Bambi". He and Turk (Donald Faison) still affectionately bro out when they see each other. And Dr Cox (John C McGinley) still runs his mouth off with the longest, most withering put-downs known to man.

But then little shifts take hold that suggest Scrubs has developed beyond a mere greying of the temples.

When JD tries to jump on Turk's back like he used to in the good old days, they quickly realise that they're too old now for such shenanigans. And it's tempting at this point to suggest that might be true of the show as a whole.

But then JD tries to lift his friend's spirits with a "Whassup!" joke that falls flat and you start to realise that this new Scrubs is fully aware that it can't just rely on millennial humour anymore.

Concessions to that are also embodied by a new HR figure, Sibby, played by SNL alum Vanessa Bayer. What could have felt overly critical of political correctness, neutering characters like Cox and even JD, ends up carrying a loopy sincerity of its own that fits remarkably well with the often absurd tone Scrubs is known for.

The new jokes balance what came before with a need for modernity that's rooted more deeply in the narrative as well. This shift comes subtly at first in an opening title sequence which retains that "Superman" theme song with a digital twist. But then we see it too in stories around the affordability crisis in healthcare, as well as harmful TikTok diets and even a robot in surgery.

It all works within the signature framework of the show, updating Scrubs without scrubbing its personality away entirely. As such, skipping over COVID in this context does feel a bit odd. What the revival doesn't skip over though is how the intervening years have changed the dynamics between most of the main characters.

We see it in how Turk struggles to find time for JD as a father of four. We see it in how Elliot (Sarah Chalke) and Turk negotiate their friendship at work upon JD's return to Sacred Heart. And most effectively of all, we see it in how Elliot and JD fight yet still love each other in the wake of their divorce. Episode 3 is the biggest standout so far thanks to them.

These emotional beats, noticeably missing among the newbie doctors who our faves now teach, have always been at the core of what makes this show work. To recalibrate them now with older, wiser eyes justifies the existence of this revival in ways that plenty of other franchises could learn from.

There are still some teething problems, of course. The cut-aways, once integral to the show's identity, are more distracting than funny these days, pulling away from the situational humour that winds up being a lot more effective. The rookie doctors could do with some more fleshing out too, but if Dr Cox was willing to take a chance on JD, we should give these newbies a chance to settle in too.

Speaking of Dr Cox, he's not around so much this time and neither is Carla due to the actor's other work commitments. Thankfully, actor/comedian Joel Kim Booster brings some much-needed sass in their stead, playing JD's rival Dr Park who pushes back against Bambi without letting their friction dominate proceedings.

After watching the first four episodes provided for screening, it's safe to say that Sacred Heart has changed a lot in ways both big and small. There's a new janitor, for example, and a new robot too. But JD and Turk are still hanging out like old times when they can, and it's surprisingly nice for us to be hanging out with them again after so long too.

Scrubs has already flatlined once – twice if you take that bizarre network shift into account – so let's just hope this revival continues to hold up until the newbies are no longer newbies and the series has settled into its rhythm.

Despite my initial misgivings, I think it's important sometimes to enjoy a show like Scrubs that isn't afraid to be sentimental and yes, even a little cringe at some points too. Because much might have changed across the intervening years, but the warmth found at Sacred Heart has not and that's needed just as much now as it was when JD first stepped through those automatic hospital doors.

Scrubs season 10 launches on Disney+ UK on Thursday 26th February 2026. Sign-up to Disney Plus from £5.99 a month.

Add Scrubs to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.