I Am A TV Junkie, A Blog For The Clicker Jockey

Scrubs Adds Courteney Cox For Three-Ep Arc

She'll play Janitor's new secret girlfriend, an heiress with a farting problem and facial hair.

Nah, I'm just kidding. Though, that would be fun.

Michael Ausiello at his new home, Entertainment Weekly:

J.D., Elliot and Co. have a new friend! Sources confirm to me exclusively that Courteney Cox is joining the cast of Scrubs for a three-episode arc as Sacred Heart's new Chief of Medicine.

Remember back in May, when exec producer Bill Lawrence revealed to me that he was looking to stunt cast the role of Dr. Kelso's successor? Yeah, I know — I'd say he kept his word, too.

Cox's boss lady character will "ruffle feathers," teases a Scrubs insider.

Note to Michael, Dirt wasn't unfortunate, the ratings were. It was a fine show in the first season and it got even better in season two, it just didn't get the promo it should have after the strike.

And Ian Hart as Don Konkey was one of the great performances in scripted cable series history.

THR.com Video -- ABC's Two New Series, Just Two

You can just watch Marc Berman from Mediaweek and James Hibberd from the Reporter talks. They were there, after all.

I'll have comments after the jump.

And yes, either Marc Berman is a giant or James Hibberd would fit in your pocket. I'm not really sure.

UPDATE: Sorry, I had to put the clip after the jump, I'm pretty sure it's the thing that's slowing down the loading of my homepage.

Newly Designed Hollywood Reporter Site Reports on Scrubs Move to ABC

The site looks fine except for the body copy typeface they've chosen is really, really small.

But about the show, James Hibberd writes about how NBC is doing absolutely nothing to say goodbye to the show, as they don't wanna create buzz for a show that will no longer be theirs:

At the conclusion of what was the comedy's third-to-last episode on NBC on Thursday, viewers were simply urged to check out the show's interactive features on NBC.com. The usual array of creator and cast interviews that usually accompany the final episodes of a concluding series are likewise largely absent.

The super low-key exit for "Scrubs" is tied to what's become the worst-kept secret in Hollywood: that the veteran comedy is moving to ABC. The long-pending deal for ABC to pick up 18 episodes of "Scrubs" for next season is effectively, pretty much, essentially, done.

Do you notice that ABC is saying nothing about it being an 18-episode final season? Although I'm pretty sure than Braff (among others) wouldn't come back after 2009 there's really nothing preventing ABC from rotating new people into the cast and keeping it going.

Personally, I'm out when Bill Lawrence is out. He brought the show, when he leaves I leave.

What I'm happy about is that having Scrubs gives ABC a show to pair with Samantha Who?, which I enjoy very much and would like to see build its own audience away from that dancing show.

Note to ABC, that dancing show with the washed-up celebs is never gonna provide a suitable lead-in to a modern TV sitcom. The two audiences don't seem to intersect. Unless the sitcom is about washed-up celebs who are looking to extend their relevance by a few ticks of the clock it's not gonna happen.

Another note, this one to Bill's wife Christa Miller -- you were a model, how could you let your husband take a formal portrait (above) without combing his hair? Sheesh!

Scrubs Update: Still No Decision, ABC & NBC May Armwrestle For the Show

Okay, not really, but I'm tellin' ya if you wanna make some money for a worthy cause, take Ben Silverman and Stephen McPherson and put them across a table from each other, or even better yet into the Jell-O pit at your local "Gentleman's Club."

(Oh, and with gambling, too. I want the gambling concession. I give McPherson 2-1 odds over Silverman, based solely on the "prom" insult Ben hurled at the WGA.)

Tomorrow's Hollywood Reporter (the new-ish James Hibberd):

Sources said the cast is coming back to finish shooting an episode for NBC that was disrupted by the WGA strike. They also are expected to film a few more episodes despite the fact that NBC opted not to pick up more segments from what was supposed to be "Scrubs' " final season.

Sources indicated that ABC Studios had planned to produce a couple of extra episodes of "Scrubs," even without an order from NBC, to possibly be included on the series' seventh-season DVD set.

Now, the new episodes are intended for ABC, as a pickup by the network is said to be likely. While the sticking points with NBC for the most part had been resolved, the dealmaking keeps stretching out, focusing primarily on securing the cast, most of whom didn't have pacts beyond this season. Sources said actor contracts are now complete for nearly every cast member, including star Zach Braff.

That would be the same Zach Braff that hasn't added to his blog in almost six months!

LAME BLOGGER!

Back to the pissing match between the nets, I hope it ends and we get these shows, otherwise Bill Lawrence will be fashioning finger puppets in the likenesses of his cast and shooting the thing for YouTube.

Sure that would be fun, but I'd rather he had a set, actors and most of all, bigger cameras.

Bubble, Bubble, TV Shows Toiling for Ratings in Trouble

James Hibberd wrote a piece at the Reporter yesterday about the shows on the bubble, those that might just not make it to another season in the sun.

A complete list of shows already picked up, those pending pickup and that nasty bubble that could pop all over your favorite show is at this link.

Of the shows I like there is How I Met Your Mother (despite the Britney guester, not because of it you haters), Jericho & Scrubs (though the ABC v. NBC war is still being waged).

About Scrubs ... well, more precisely about Zach (pictured), he has not touched his blog since September 26 last year.

Click here to give him some grief about that.

So Now Scrubs Isn't Moving to ABC? What?

You network types have to get it together. Sheesh, I just wrote about this last night.

It seems like maybe ABC jumped the gun or NBC didn't speak up fast enough or maybe there was just a misunderstanding, but there were a lot of people at the Peacock, including apparently the Peacock guy himself (Silverman) who were surprised when they saw James Hibberd's Hollywood Reporter piece that I mentioned last night.

Today, there's another Hibberd story that goes something like this:

Veteran comedy "Scrubs" is caught in a tug-of-war between NBC and ABC.

ABC is in negotiations to pick up 18 episodes of the series from ABC Studios, which has produced the comedy for NBC since 2001.

NBC brass are said to have been caught off guard when THR.com broke the story Thursday.

A network insider said NBC is still in "first negotiation period" -- a period of exclusive negotiations -- with ABC Studios.

ABC Studios chose not to respond.

More after the jump.

Scrubs Will Have Its Final Season, on ABC!

And paired with Samantha Who? and you know I love that show as well.

I'm a happy boy.

Go read James Hibberd's piece at the Reporter. Remember we used to link to him at TV Week? (And ramble on at his blog?) Well, congrats to him on his new position.

Braff still has not blogged since 9-26-07 but I betcha as soon as his deal is set at ABC we'll hear from him.

Bill Lawrence will not have to act out all the parts for a select group of friends and fans.

Variety Has Many Details on Returning Shows

And, because I would end up excerpting the whole article here, I'm just gonna have to click over there for it.

Notably:

• There will be a negotiation of sorts to see how many eps Bill Lawrence gets to wrap up Scrubs. I think he should get as many as he wants, but I'm not "the decider."
• Boston Legal should be first drama back in production
• No more Cane, but the lights are not just out yet for next season
• Forget about Heroes and 24, as previously rumored

Check there to see if your fave is mentioned.

Scrubs' McGinley: Wife "Was a Mountain Lion, a Warrior In the Birthing Process"

I guess they had a baby, huh. It was this past weekend.

And, they did it in Malibu in a birthing tub with a midwife according to E! Online, which just goes to show you that the 70s weren't for nothing.

From the National Park Service website:

Mountain Lions are capable of breeding at any time during the year. In the west, it has been discovered that the kittens are usually born during June or July. During the breeding season, the famous scream of the female lion may be heard. This scream is used to attract the male lion. After the female chooses her mate, the two lions will remain together for several days, hunting and playing until the female is ready to mate. After approximately three months, the kittens will be born. The female will choose a den, which could be a rock overhang, shallow cave or area of dense vegetation, as a secure place to give birth.

Okay, not quite a mountain lion. I'm sure it was all very holistic. I would want an epidural.

Hey, if the strike ends this week (please, please, please) could we please have some final eps of Scrubs? That would be a great baby gift for McGinley and his wife.

Scrubs' Bill Lawrence Fights For His Fans and For His Show

Steve Zeitchik in the Hollywood Reporter:

"Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence said he declined a request to write a backup ending that would have allowed the NBC hospital comedy to shoot a series finale even if the walkout continued into next year.

Lawrence revealed Saturday that he instead decided to write the scripts in his normal fashion, rather than fast-forward to a hackneyed series capper in which "two people kiss."

He said he will write a proper finale and battle with the show's producer, ABC Studios, to get it shown, even if it has to happen next season. "I will use all my leverage to end this show properly, even if it means I have to do all the voices myself and call people up to read it over the phone," he said.

Bill, please send me an email and I will send you my phone number, just in case. Or, you and I will just sit in the Bob's Big Boy on Riverside in Burbank and read it together. I'll bring my camcorder and then I'll post it here.

We can make this work, Bill, just drop me a line and I'll set it up.

But personally, I would prefer the usual method with the involvement of the cast and crew and all.

Here's some words from the Scrubs writers' room, coming out of John C. McGinley's mouth and illustrated by YouTube user Basssk8erpunk263.

LINK