Because Scrubs has been on the air since 2001, it has become a well-known pop culture facet. Many outside television shows, movies, and other sources refer to Scrubs.
Movies[]
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It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (IMDb) Original Premier: November 29, 2002 During the made-for-TV Christmas movie, Miss Piggy went into acting and was cast as a patient in Scrubs until Kermit the Frog convinced her to return to him. Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Neil Flynn, John C. McGinley, and Judy Reyes appear in their characters in the actual ward of Sacred Heart. Bill Lawrence also appears as himself as the director of the episode. |
Television[]
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The Big Bang Theory (IMDb) Original Premier: Nov 12, 2007 In episode 8 of season 1 of the TV show The Big Bang Theory, titled The Grasshopper Experiment, Howard and Sheldon are talking about medical themed TV shows in India and Howard makes a comment:
Coincidentally this episode was directed by Ted Wass who later directed the eighth season Scrubs episode "My Comedy Show". |
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Family Guy (IMDb) Original Premier: Nov 25, 2007 In episode 7 of season 6 of the TV show Family Guy, titled Peter's Daughter, Peter is in a hospital and says to a doctor:
This could also be a reference to the soap opera General Hospital where two characters are nicknamed Scrubs. Also, in an episode were Peter and his friends wives came into the bar, Peter shoots itself in the mouth with an shotgun. Than he wakes up from his daydream and his friends say: What are you doing? and Peter responds: Sorry, I had an Scrubs fantasy moment. |
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The Simpsons (IMDb) Original Premier: May 11, 2008 In episode 19 of season 19 of the TV show The Simpsons, titled Mona Leaves-a, Homer says to his mother:
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American Dad (IMDb) Original Premier: Nov 29, 2009 In episode 8 of season 5 of the TV show American Dad, titled G-String Circus, an alien character named Roger, dressed as a surgeon in green scrubs goes into a voice over, J.D.-style with slow music playing in the background:
After that a character resembling Turk comes in and says: The animated Turk actually was voiced by Donald Faison. |
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Cougar Town (IMDb) Original Premier: Jan 20, 2010 In episode 13 of season 1 of Bill Lawrence's new TV show Cougar Town, titled Stop Dragging My Heart Around, there are two Scrubs references:
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Community (IMDb) Original Premier: Mar 4, 2010 In episode 18 of season 1 of the NBC series Community, titled Physical Education, Jeff is mocked by Abed and he then describes it was a
Jeff then grumpily responds:
Community is produced by longtime Scrubs producers Neil Goldman, Garrett Donovan and Tim Hobert. |
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Cougar Town (IMDb) Original Premier: Apr 28, 2010 In episode 21 of season 1 of Bill Lawrence's show Cougar Town, titled Letting You Go, Travis gets a rejection letter from a college - it's from Winston University and it's described as his safety school in the dialogue. Later in the episode he and Jules visit a college that's supposed to be in Florida, but it looks exactly like Winston University on Scrubs. This isn't surprising, of course, as Cougar Town is filmed at Culver Studios, as was Season Nine and the university sets are part of that studio. |
Video Games[]
Trauma Center
In the Hospital themed Nintendo DS and Wii game Trauma Center: Under The Knife, several patients have names similiar to Scrubs actors or characters:
- Elisa Chalke
- Elliot Cox
- Eric 'Dorian'
- Omar Flynn
- Chi McGinley
- Zach Perry
- Jack Reyes
- Linda Reid
- Kevin Turk
- Donald Grey
Fallout 3
- In the Mothership Zeta expansion, a US Army Combat Medic met is named Eliot Tecrorien, this could be a portmanteau of the Doctors Elliot Reid, John Dorian, and Christopher Turk.
World of Warcraft[]
- In the Argent Tournament a undead NPC appears under the name Sarah Chalke.
Payday: The Heist
- In the beginning of the PC exclusive map "No Mercy," there is a chance that one of the various possible names to be called over the hospital's PA is "Dr. Dorian." or "Dr. Acula for a blood transfusion." the latter being a reference to the former's vampire screenplay.
Other[]
- A 2001 Got Milk? ad starred the three main stars of Scrubs.