Today's column reiterates some of my concerns about
"Scrubs" continuing on ABC next year, plus previews tonight's brilliant
"30 Rock" season finale:
So the ads for tonight's episode of "Scrubs" (8:30 p.m., Ch. 4) - an elaborate homage to "The Princess Bride" - refers to it as "The Finale." Not "season," not "series." "Finale."
NBC keeps using that phrase. I do not think it means what they think it means.
To borrow a bit of wisdom from "Princess Bride" charlatan Miracle Max, "Scrubs" is dead to NBC, but is it mostly-dead or all-dead? Mostly-dead is slightly alive - and, though no one will say it on the record until at least the network upfronts next week, team "Scrubs" is already producing another 18-episode season to air next fall on ABC - where with all-dead, the only thing you can do is go through the pockets and look for loose change.
Now, far be it from me to give "Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence (who decided to take the hospital comedy to ABC when NBC refused, post-strike, to let him make the handful of episodes he would need to give his baby a proper send-off) a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it, but I worry that he's fallen victim to one of the classic blunders. The greatest, of course, is never get involved in a sitcom with Paula Marshall, but only slightly less well-known is this: never try to stretch things out when your legacy is on the line!
You get the idea. To read the full thing,
click here.
Today's column reiterates some of my concerns about "Scrubs" continuing on ABC next year, plus previews tonight's brilliant "30 Rock" season finale:
9 comments:
That Scrubs review is epic. Very well done.
I totally agree with your review, Alan. Sometimes less is more.
The only thing I would disagree about is how good the last few episodes have been. I actualy thought last week's episode was painfully bad and had trouble getting through it. If next season is like last week then I'm going to end up giving up on the show after having hung on for 7 seasons.
Alan, great column.
I saw this review of 30 Rock and thought it was pretty off the mark and yours was directly on point. While I agree that the show seems to have an even more tenuous grasp on realism, I don't think it's the detriment to the show as he posits.
Poor Paula Marshall.
5 minutes till Scrubs here. Aside from Kim lying to JD about the miscarriage, I've never had a problem with it. (something I can't say about my current favorite, Grey's Anatomy).
I'm hoping to make it thru ER.
Why is Kelso back? Why is this episode out of order?
watching of Scrubs paused by roommate who had to call his mother re: mother's day present.
sigh
Worst finale ever.
I love Scrubs. I love the Princess Bride. But that was not good.
First of all, it was out of order. Having Kelso suddenly be back, and having Keith suddenly be back was VERY disorienting.
Second, I don't really see how that story was at all related to the Princess Bride, aside from it taking place in a similar setting / time period. I think I caught one single Princess Bride reference in the whole thing! Such a let down.
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