Scrubs (season 8)

The eighth season of the American comedy television series Scrubs premiered on ABC on January 6, 2009 and concluded on May 6, 2009 and consists of 19 episodes. The eighth season was the first to be shown on ABC after NBC dropped the series, ending its seven-year run on the network. ABC's pick-up of the show was followed by it commissioning nineteen episodes, which included an hour-long finale. For all of the season's run, it was expected that the eighth season would be the last, especially after the show's creator Bill Lawrence announced it. After rumors surfaced of a ninth season, it was understood that the eighth would be the last to star Zach Braff and much of the main cast. However, the show was later re-commissioned for another season, in which Braff and other cast members appeared for multiple episodes.[1] The eighth season was the first to air in high definition.

Scrubs
Season 8
DVD cover
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes19
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseJanuary 6 (2009-01-06) –
May 6, 2009 (2009-05-06)
Season chronology

Needing to cut costs for the eighth season, Bill Lawrence stated that he divided the writing staff up into two groups, half for the first seven episodes and half for the last eleven episodes.[2] Additionally, each main cast member was absent for three episodes during the season (except Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke who are absent for two). An accompanying web series that aired on ABC's website called Scrubs: Interns was also created to coincide with the season, starring the new interns with guest appearances by the main cast.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Another way ABC cut costs is to have the main cast absent in a few episodes. Series star Zach Braff is absent for an episode for the first time in the series, and only lends his voice to another episode.

Production

After a rumor-induced build-up to season eight, and it being believed that season seven was the last, ABC picked up Scrubs and announced it as a midseason replacement. The first episode aired January 6, 2009.

The season's timeslot shifted from Scrubs being shown on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm and 9:30 pm to Wednesdays at 8:00 pm beginning with episode 11, "My Nah Nah Nah." The show performed most successfully on Wednesdays, with average viewing figures of 5.36 million an episode.[3]

To cut costs the writing staff was split into two groups, with the exception of Bill Lawrence, Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan, and Bill Callahan: one group for the first seven episodes, and the second for the rest of the season. Since Goldman & Donovan, Callahan and Lawrence wrote an episode in the second half, the term was longer. Mike Schwartz and Mark Stegemann, two writers who had been on since season one, did not return to the writing staff, although Stegemann did return to direct one episode. For the episode "My Nah Nah Nah," writers who didn't work in season 8 were credited, since the episode was partially written/filmed in season 7.

Scrubs: Interns

To coincide with Scrubs being shown on television, a web series was produced called Scrubs: Interns. It consisted of twelve webisodes following the adventures of the interns at Sacred Heart Hospital. The episodes featured cameos from several regular cast members, and included an episode with J.D. The webisodes' theme tune was performed by The Blanks.

Episodes
See also: List of Scrubs episodes
Scrubs season 8 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
1511"My Jerks"Michael SpillerAngela NisselJanuary 6, 2009 (2009-01-06)801[4]6.74[5]
Dr. Taylor Maddox (Courteney Cox) joins Sacred Heart as new chief of medicine and Dr. Cox tries to avoid her. J.D. struggles to manage new interns. Carla helps Elliot put her ego in check and Elliot apologizes to Keith for their break-up. The Janitor is caught tormenting J.D. by Maddox and is fired.
1522"My Last Words"Bill LawrenceAseem BatraJanuary 6, 2009 (2009-01-06)802[6]6.61[5]
J.D. and Turk set aside their personal plans to comfort a dying patient.
1533"My Saving Grace"Michael SpillerJanae BakkenJanuary 13, 2009 (2009-01-13)803[7]4.61[8]
Dr. Cox requests Dr. Kelso's help to oust Dr. Maddox from Sacred Heart. Carla decides to take self-centered, incompetent intern Katie (Betsy Beutler) down a notch by teaching her a lesson.
1544"My Happy Place"Ken WhittinghamTaii K. AustinJanuary 13, 2009 (2009-01-13)804[9]4.33[8]
J.D. and Elliot reflect on their past break-ups when they try to encourage Dr. Kelso to branch out beyond the coffee shop and decide to give their relationship another try. Dr. Cox, Todd and Turk work together to help two kidney transplant patients. The Janitor is re-hired as he tricks payroll into thinking he wasn't fired and that they forgot his paycheck. A flashback shows him firing his replacement.
1555"My ABC's"Bill LawrenceBill LawrenceJanuary 27, 2009 (2009-01-27)713[10]5.07[11]
J.D., Elliot and Dr. Cox each choose an intern to work with. J.D. picks Denise (Eliza Coupe), who lacks compassion towards patients. Elliot's intern, Katie, tries to use her to land a case study with Turk, who picks Ed over Katie due to his multi-colored pen. Dr. Cox chooses Ed (Aziz Ansari), who is lazy and overconfident. Sesame Street Cameos.
1566"My Cookie Pants"Gail MancusoClarence LivingstonJanuary 27, 2009 (2009-01-27)805[12]4.99[11]
Elliot seeks Turk's advice on reigniting romance with J.D., who in turn tries to teach Denise to use compassion while dealing with patients. Dr. Kelso recommends Dr. Cox for the job Chief of Medicine, who is conflicted over taking the role.
1577"My New Role"Will MackenzieDave TennantFebruary 3, 2009 (2009-02-03)806[13]4.82[14]
Dr. Cox is overcome by his new role as Chief of Medicine and approaches Dr. Kelso for help.
1588"My Lawyer's in Love"Mark StegemannDebra FordhamFebruary 3, 2009 (2009-02-03)811[15]4.68[14]
Ted finds it hard to take an initiative when he falls in love at first sight. Meanwhile, Dr. Cox finds it difficult to handle multiple situations.
1599"My Absence"John PutchDebra Fordham & Andy SchwartzFebruary 10, 2009 (2009-02-10)812[16]4.56[17]
Elliot is faced with J.D.'s absence at the hospital. Meanwhile, Carla tells Turk that she is pregnant again. Turk takes this seriously as the whole hospital doesn't really care due to this not being their first-born child. This is the first episode in the entire series in which J.D. does not appear.
16010"My Comedy Show"Ted WassDevin O. Mahoney & C. Rego MarquiisFebruary 10, 2009 (2009-02-10)807[18]4.22[17]
All of the new interns get assigned to do a role of each doctor by Turk and J.D, The sketch show ends with a sketch of Turk and J.D portrayed as a couple in love, indicating that the whole hospital thinks of them that way. Both Turk and J.D. begin to think they should stop their behavior in the hospital, but both find it too hard to resist. Meanwhile Elliot tries to get Denise to get out of the hospital to have fun with the other interns. Meanwhile Carla makes the Janitor believe that he is losing his mind.
16111"My Nah Nah Nah"John PutchKevin BiegelMarch 18, 2009 (2009-03-18)712[19]5.62[20]
Turk gets an idea about a risky procedure from watching "SportsCenter" that may restore a paralyzed teenager's ability to walk. Jordan gets mad at Dr. Cox when he wears their wedding ring. Lady refuses to hold Janitor's hand, which upsets and confuses him.
16212"Their Story II"Michael McDonaldAndy SchwartzMarch 25, 2009 (2009-03-25)808[21]5.27[22]
Narrated from the perspective of hospital's new interns. J.D. assumes the role arguing with Dr. Cox over hospital's various needs. However, his successes do not go over well with Turk.
16313"My Full Moon"John MichelKevin BiegelApril 1, 2009 (2009-04-01)813[23]4.97[24]
A full moon and some bad luck bring Sacred Heart's new interns their roughest cases yet. Meanwhile Elliot ponders her future as a doctor after she finds out the source of a patient's mysterious illness, and then has to tell that patient.
16414"My Soul on Fire: Part 1"Bill LawrenceBill CallahanApril 8, 2009 (2009-04-08)809[25]4.56[26]
The Janitor and Lady send out invitations to their fake wedding in the Bahamas in order to score some free gifts, but the joke's on them when J.D. convinces everyone from the hospital to go.
16515"My Soul on Fire: Part 2"Bill LawrenceBill CallahanApril 15, 2009 (2009-04-15)810[27]5.06[28]
Janitor and Lady's quirky, tropical, seaside wedding ceremony affirms the romance for the oddest of the hospital's couples. Meanwhile, there's trouble in paradise for the other couples. The episode features a cameo appearance from Scrubs' creator Bill Lawrence as Van, Justice of the Peace.
16616"My Cuz"Linda MendozaKevin BiegelApril 22, 2009 (2009-04-22)8144.60[29]
As J.D. plans to move closer to Sam, he reaches out to make peace with Kim (Elizabeth Banks) and finds that she has a new man in her life, Elliot's ex-boyfriend Sean (Scott Foley). Meanwhile, Turk rallies the troops at Sacred Heart to help him campaign for a promotion to chief of surgery while Dr. Kelso is admitted to the hospital after eating a tainted muffin and treats himself, much to the irritation of the hospital staff.
16717"My Chief Concern"Zach BraffNeil Goldman & Garrett DonovanMay 5, 2009 (2009-05-05)815[30]3.71[31]
Change begets change when J.D. considers taking a new job so he can live closer to his son and Kim, Turk begins his new role as chief of surgery and Ted and Gooch take their relationship to the next level.
16818"My Finale"Bill LawrenceBill LawrenceMay 6, 2009 (2009-05-06)816/817[32]5.07[31]
16919
J.D. intends to leave Sacred Heart to move closer to his son, while he and Elliot plan to take their relationship to the next level. He then goes around saying his farewells to everyone and gets upset when Dr. Cox won't say goodbye to him.

References
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  2. Keller, Joel (May 22, 2008). "Bill Lawrence of Scrubs: The TV Squad Interview". TV Squad. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
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  29. Seidman, Robert (April 28, 2009). "Top ABC Primetime Shows, April 20-26, 2009". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
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