Zach Braff doubted Scrubs fans would like the revival
Zach Braff admits he was not confident Scrubs fans would like the ABC revival, fearing the cast could miss the show’s signature tone after years away. Ahead of Season 2’s Sept. 30 premiere, he said fan praise that they “didn’t miss a beat” exceeded anything the team daydreamed.
Key Takeaways
- Zach Braff said the Scrubs team was anxious about nailing the show’s specific tone for older leads running a hospital.
- Fan reaction to the revival’s first season surprised Braff, who directed the pilot and felt viewers said it never missed a beat.
- Season 2 premieres Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.
- Johnny Kastl is planned to return as Dr. Doug Murphy; Ken Jenkins will not appear in Season 2.
- Joel Kim Booster and X Mayo are not returning, while Scott Foley reprises Sean Kelly and new faces join the cast.
Why was Zach Braff nervous about the Scrubs revival?
In a CinemaBlend interview via Yahoo, Braff called getting a second season “thrilling” after the cast worked hard and worried they would not “nail the tone.” Scrubs has a very specific voice, and returning years later—with the original stars now heads of the hospital—made threading that needle feel risky.
The original series ended in 2009 after nine seasons. Bringing it back more than 15 years later meant pleasing longtime viewers while still working for a new audience. Creator Bill Lawrence is back as executive producer alongside the revival’s run.
Did fans actually like the Scrubs comeback?
Braff said the reaction went beyond what they could have daydreamed. Directing the pilot, he was thrilled that the overwhelming sentiment was that the show felt like it never missed a beat. Season 1 also reunited fan favorites including John C. McGinley’s Dr. Cox, Judy Reyes’ Nurse Carla, Christa Miller’s Jordan Sullivan, and Neil Flynn’s The Janitor.
Storylines still in play include Dr. Cox’s microscopic polyangiitis diagnosis and the ongoing dynamics among J.D., Turk, and Elliot. Season 1’s finale introduced Rachel Bilson’s Charlie as a new love interest for J.D. and left an unexpected kiss between two interns unresolved.
Who is coming back—and who is not—for Season 2?
According to Deadline, showrunner Aseem Batra plans to bring Johnny Kastl back as the inept Dr. Doug Murphy in one of the final two Season 2 episodes—his first acting work in nearly two decades after leaving for law school. Scott Foley returns as Sean Kelly in a short arc starting in Episode 203, with a possible finale appearance. Neil Flynn’s Janitor is set for multiple episodes.
Ken Jenkins will not reprise Dr. Kelso in Season 2. Braff said fans want him back, but at 86 and retired from acting, it is “a bit of a big ask,” though he will keep trying. AL.com reports Joel Kim Booster (Dr. Kevin Park) and X Mayo (Nurse Pippa Raymond) are also out; Mayo’s exit was scheduling, while writers wanted a new rival “underneath” J.D. SNL alum John Higgins joins as Chief Resident Grant, and Keyla Monterroso Mejia plays Turk’s new surgical nurse Mimi. Ava Bunn (Dr. Sam Tosh) is promoted to series regular.
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When can you watch Scrubs Season 2?
Season 2 launches Sept. 30 with a two-episode premiere on ABC at 8 p.m. ET and streams the next day on Hulu. The season is 10 episodes long, with table reads and scripts still wrapping late in the run as of late September 2026.