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More life for 'Scrubs'? And other ABC upfront notes
While it's widely assumed that the first season of Scrubs on ABC will be the last season of Scrubs overall, Steve McPherson isn't ready to concede that point just yet.
"It could be" the swan song for the hospital comedy, which is moving over from ABC, says McPherson, the president of ABC Entertainment. "But it's hard to know. [The cast] didn't have options beyond last year. They just went to them and said, Do you want to do it? And they said yes."
Whatever the show's ultimate fate, McPherson -- who helped develop it when he was head of Touchstone TV (now ABC Studios) -- is excited to have the series on his network. Scrubs is not a big hit; it averaged about 6.4 million viewers a week this season. But its reputation and relatively decent demographic ratings have McPherson waxing optimistic.
"Given the fact that it's been in 17 time periods on their network" -- that's not an exaggeration, by the way -- "and never really promoted at all, the fact that it was doing a 3.5 [adults 18-49 rating] on Thursdays and performing better than everything but The Office, I think it's a really great addition for us," he says. "It helps us as we're expanding our comedy brand. We had a lot of success with Samantha Who?, but you know, it's kind of bricks. You have to build on success, and it gives us a real opportunity to have another piece to play with."
Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence is also excited at the prospect of an eighth season, McPherson says. The departure of Ken Jenkins' character, the curmudgeonly chief of medicine Bob Kelso, will clear the path for a new boss at Sacred Heart "that will spark a whole new dynamic in the office," McPherson says.
"There are some things [Lawrence] wasn't able to accomplish that he's excited about," McPherson adds. "And Bill, you know, has been a big reason we got behind this. ... When he came in and pitched me on where it was going, that was a big factor."
The show's cast will all return for next season -- including Sarah Chalke, who lately has been pulling double duty as Ted's (Josh Radnor) girlfriend on CBS' How I Met Your Mother. She could theoretically be able to work on both shows next season, as Scrubs has already gone into production on the 18 episodes it's making for ABC.
Other notes from ABC's upfront press conference:
Most significantly, though, "there's one large conceptual, mythological piece we're changing that's out of the Appelbaum-Nemec-Rosenberg brain trust," McPherson says. The BBC series on which it's based ended after just two eight-episode seasons, and the change will help position the show for the kind of open-ended run that's more common to American television.
Good to hear that "Eli Stone" will be back for another season ... and having most shows return in their same time-period is very good ... no changes is good!
I wonder how "life on Mars" will be and I am certainly gonna watch and see for myself ... and then we still got to see if it gets the ratings ABC is hoping for being aired after "Grey's Anatomy" ...
As for "Lost", I just wonder if ABC will move it again to a friday night time-slot and thus help 20/20 afterwards???
Erwin | May 13, 2008 3:31:14 PM | #HMMMM were is Lost ????
eric | May 13, 2008 7:20:02 PM | #Yay! Dana Delany is coming back after her characters mystery gets wrapped! I am so excited, she is probably the best mystery since why Mary Alice Young shot herself.
Life on Mars, I do not really know how I am going to like it, but I will give it a shot. Eli Stone, gave it a shot and found it hard to be taken serious but I will give it one last shot in the fall. Lost, I enjoyed the few eps I have seen this season I might possibly even return to watch the whole season next spring.
Jeffrey | May 13, 2008 7:57:55 PM | #I kinda love McPherson's enthusiasm for Scrubs but I'm not sure what he means by saying that Scrubs was "performing better than everything but The Office." I'm pretty sure Earl gets the best ratings of the NBC comedies, doesn't it?
And I'm curious as to what role Ken Jenkins will have on the show now. It almost would make sense for him to just leave the show entirely, although that would be sad.
Billiam | May 14, 2008 7:51:50 AM | #Eric - "Lost" will return in early 2009, similar to the way it was scheduled this season.
And Billiam, he was talking about the 18-49 ratings: "The Office" is the best of the NBC comedies in that measure, and the other three are all about the same. The 3.5 rating he mentioned for "Scrubs" was, I'm pretty sure, for its first episode back when it followed "The Office."
Rick | May 14, 2008 9:53:19 AM | #I'm really bummed that ABC cancelled WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB, especially after adding
GERALD MCRANEY to the show.
I LOVE THAT MAN!!!
I'm really bummed that ABC cancelled WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB, especially after adding
GERALD MCRANEY to the show.
I LOVE THAT MAN!!!
When Women's Murder Club ran on Friday nights, it was a big hit for ABC and I understand that they are solid on just about every night of the week reaching the demographic and viewer totals that they desire, but how is it possible to throw away a show that was number one in its original timeslot unless they are planning to bring back one of the many hit reality shows that rescued their ratings during the writer's strike. Dance War, Oprah's Big Give, and Here Come The Newlyweds all were ratings winners in their timeslots during the strike.
Matt | May 16, 2008 12:23:33 PM | #here's an idea, CBS! just cancel Swingtown NOW and put your money elsewhere.... anywhere...
Ellie May | May 19, 2008 8:48:55 PM | #
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