While “Scrubs” was a huge success on NBC, star Zach Braff says the cast was “burnt out” by the final season of production. In an interview with Michael Rosenbaum’s “Inside of You” podcast, the actor recalled how exhausted the cast was during the show’s final run.
“By the time nine years had passed, we were all kind of burned out,” Braff said. “I felt like at that point we started repeating jokes. Everyone was so tired… We were working crazy hours that people don’t work anymore.”
“We didn't really have a life outside of it,” he added.
During its run, the medical comedy series gained a large and loyal fan base, gained industry recognition and received 17 Emmy Award nominations, winning two.
In an interview with diverse“Scrubs” creator Bill Lawrence has admitted that he believes there is real momentum to revive the series. However, there are notable obstacles — such as the fact that “Scrubs” is a Disney show and Lawrence has a deal with Warner Bros. Television, plus the show’s cast is very busy with several projects.
“It’s interesting to me that my passion for Scrubs has never really died down, and I’m so grateful for that,” Lawrence said. “Maybe because Zach and Donald are so good friends in real life and they do their own podcasts and T-Mobile commercials. None of us really need that, and that’s probably the biggest barrier to entry — everyone is so successful and talented and beautiful.”
As for Braff, although he was honest about how exhausting the series was for him as it came to an end, he credited Scrubs for changing his life: “I miss laughing every day. Belly laughing every day was my job.”
He would also be interested in donning a stethoscope again, provided the potential reboot is billed as a limited series: “When we contracted to do our shows, they put you under a pretty crazy seven-year contract and stuff, which I wouldn’t do. But kind of talking about something limited, you’re basically saying, ‘Do you want to get the gang back together and have a lot of laughs with some of your best friends and get paid well?’”
