The 'Scrubs' Reboot Has Already Lost a Showrunner

I don’t know if there is any actual drama behind this, because the announcement was couched in the usual “creative differences,” but it has to be a little weird that Scrubs is losing a co-showrunner so early in its revival. Tim Hobert, a longtime writer on the original Scrubs is exiting, leaving Aseem Batra as the sole remaining showrunner.

Hobert clearly has long ties to the show’s producer and original showrunner, Bill Lawrence, because Hobert was also on Spin City (Hobert also wrote on Community and The Middle). He’ll remain credited as an exec producer for the first five episodes (two episodes have reportedly been shot already).

It was a quick exit for Hobert, as the first table read was only a month ago. I do wonder how much creative difference there can actually be on a show that previously ran for nine seasons? Seems to me like you continue doing what worked for as long as it did. If it ain’t broke …

The show is left in good hands, however, as Batra was also a longtime writer on the original series, as well as the creator of the cancelled-too-soon comedy I Feel Bad starring Sarayu Blue.

OG showrunner Bill Lawrence, while credited as a producer, is not tending to the day-to-day on the reboot because of his ongoing commitments to Shrinking and Bad Monkey.

The reboot should kick off at midseason, and it will bring back most of the regulars from the original run: Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, and John C. McGinley (RIP Sam Lloyd).