J.D., Turk, and the gang are coming back on shift sooner than you might think. Scrubs is returning to ABC after a sixteen-year absence starting this winter. The medical sitcom is coming back to ABC with a two-episode premiere on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.

The series is claiming the time slot previously held by the Tim Allen–Kat Dennings intergenerational sitcom Shifting Gears, which will conclude its 13-episode second-season order in February. The Scrubs relaunch will see many of the show’s previous cast members return to Sacred Heart Hospital, including Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, and John C. McGinley. Bill Lawrence, who created the series, will executive produce. The series was originally set to have co-showrunners in the form of Tim Hobert (The Middle) and Aseem Batra (The Cleveland Show); however, Hobert recently departed the series over creative differences, leaving Batra as the show’s sole showrunner.

What Is ‘Scrubs’ About?

Debuting in 2001, Scrubs centers around the staff of Sacred Heart Hospital, including John “J.D.” Dorian (Braff) and Christopher Turk (Faison), doctors and longtime bromantic pals; neurotic doctor Elliot Reid (Chalke), J.D.’s love interest and later wife; domineering head nurse Carla Espinosa (Reyes), who marries Turk; sarcastic veteran doctor Perry Cox (McGinley); cantankerous chief of medicine Bob Kelso (Ken Jenkins); and J.D.’s enigmatic archenemy, the custodian known only as the Janitor (Neil Flynn). The series was a comedy, and featured the then-novel device of having J.D. narrate most of the series’ episodes, often including daydreams and flights of fancy. While many episodes were devoted to sitcom-style hijinks, the series was typically unsparing in its portrayal of the death and loss that are an unavoidable element of working in a hospital; a particularly memorable episode saw several transplant patients die thanks to an overlooked case of rabies in the donor. Although it was a production of ABC Studios, the series aired on NBC for its first seven seasons. After ending at NBC, it was revived at ABC for its eighth and ninth seasons before being canceled again.

The series underwent a sea change following its eighth season; the previous main characters largely became supporting presences, while the focus of the show shifted to a quartet of medical students played by Eliza Coupe, Dave Franco, Michael Mosley, and Kerry Bishé. This change did not catch on with new audiences or established fans of the series.

Scrubs will return on ABC on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.

via Collider