Scrubs returned to ABC after a 16-year hiatus last week with the Scrubs reboot.
Many of its old viewers, combined with new viewers, must have tuned in, as the first episode of the reboot hit an impressive 11.4 million viewers in the five days since its premiere.
It bodes well for the remaining episodes of the season and a possible show renewal.
Viewer Numbers
The 11.4 million viewers come from a combination of viewers who tuned into ABC’s initial telecast and viewers who streamed the episode on Hulu and other digital platforms.
According to Disney, the Scrubs reboot earned the spot of ABC’s most-streamed comedy episode and most-streamed series premiere in more than a year. The previous record holder was Shifting Gears, which premiered on January 8th, 2025.
For the live broadcast, Scrubs was the most-watched comedy for adults aged 18-49 since Shifting Gears premiered and the crossover episode between Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia that aired on the same night.
This number excludes telecasts that benefited from lead-in viewers from an NFL game.
Details About Scrubs Reboot
The reboot brings back the main cast members 15 years after the medical comedy ended, including Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, Judy Reyes, and John C. McGinley.
Bill Lawrence, the show’s creator, commented on the Scrubs reboot idea, saying, “I was fascinated to go, ‘I wonder how we can figure out if we can hang on to J.D. and Turk’s infectious childish joy when they’re around each other, but still have them step into the role of being adults and being the teachers that they once had in their lives.’ That was a fun challenge.”
The official description of the reboot reads, ” JD (Zach Braff) and Turk (Donald Faison) scrub in together for the first time in a long time: Medicine has changed; interns have changed; but their bromance has stood the test of time. Characters new and old navigate the waters of Sacred Heart with laughter, heart and some surprises along the way.”
Executive producers for the series include Lawrence, Jeff Ingold, Liza Katzer, Braff, Faison, Chalke, Aseem Batra, and Randall Winston.
Future Episodes to Watch
The Scrubs reboot featured a two-episode premiere. The rest of the nine-episode installment will premiere weekly on Wednesdays at 8 pm ET on ABC, streaming the next day on Hulu.
The newest episode, premiering on March 4th, has the following logline:
“Elliot faces a dilemma with a stubborn patient, while J.D. discovers online doctor reviews. Meanwhile, Turk teaches his interns about new surgical technology and unexpected life lessons.”