The first season of the "Scrubs" revival ended in mid-April, just over 16 years after the original series wrapped, and its return reflects how much the medical field has changed in that time. In an interview with the Television Academy, series creator Bill Lawrence explained that becoming a doctor no longer guarantees the kind of wealth it once did, with many drawn to the profession out of a desire to help others.
"Most of the people going into this have some kind of calling to be of service," he said. "Because it's a s****y, weird world." From the outset, Lawrence and his team were intent on faithfully portraying that reality, with star Zach Braff noting that the creator always said, "I want the medical stuff to be fully accurate. I don't want anyone to question it." Writers and producers took that beyond showing real afflictions and treatments from the very beginning; there were plenty of crises of confidence and important personal decisions for the young doctors in the early seasons of "Scrubs."
To prepare for the revival, showrunner Aseem Batra — a producer on the original series – and the writing staff interviewed medical interns, using their experiences to shape new characters and storylines. The realities for today's young doctors are very different from those in the past, prompting "Scrubs" to adjust its approach accordingly.