Scrubs’ Missing Fan-Favorite Character Will Return On One Condition, Reveals Creator

1 day ago 3

Published Mar 8, 2026, 10:21 AM EDT

Rianna is the Movie News Editor for ScreenRant. After earning her BA in Film Studies, she began her career as an entertainment writer, contributing to several publications before joining ScreenRant. Her dissertation on the impact of streaming on traditional cinema sharpened her focus on the ever-evolving world of film and media. With 6 years in the industry, Rianna continues to cover the stories she loves while also advocating for awareness and representation of rare disabilities, such as Moebius Syndrome, which she lives with.

The revival of the hit comedy series Scrubs has everyone reminiscing on old times, including a fan-favorite character who has claimed they will return on one condition.

The Scrubs' revival reunites best friends and coworkers J.D. (played by Zach Braff) and Turk (played by Donald Faison) at Sacred Heart Hospital after 15 years, as J.D. returns from his career as a concierge doctor to become the new Chief of Medicine. The new series is meant to introduce more modern medicine, with a new, younger team of interns, and also bring back the nostalgia of fan-favorite characters.

Creator Bill Lawrence has shared a post on X regarding the revival series, as fans are desperate for Ken Jenkins' character, Dr. Bob Kelso, the original chief of medicine at Sacred Heart, to return. When asked if Jenkins would return to Scrubs, Lawrence stated that "If we are lucky enough to come back, we are gonna try to get Ken there. He's older, but we love him so." Obviously, this signifies Kelso won't make an appearance in the first season, but hopes for another season could mean a Kelso return.

The 2026 revival of Scrubs has been well-received with an impressive 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. ScreenRant's Ben Gibbons commented on how "TV and film appear to be obsessed with revisiting popular IP, and this has led to varying results in terms of how successful these projects are, Scrubs has managed to find the sweet spot." It can be hard to recapture the magic from an original IP, but Scrubs has kept the fun that made the original series so successful.

JD and Kelso sitting on a bench in Scrubs

The new series has also been a hit for Disney+ in the U.S., as it landed in the top 10 series and was trending at #1 for subscribers. With the incredible reception, it's unclear if more seasons will be ordered, but it seems almost a guarantee after getting positive reviews and being streamed enough to place at the top of the streaming giant's charts.

All new episodes of Scrubs air on Wednesdays at 8:00 PM on ABC.