Audience Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over Binding: DVD EAN: 8717418051518 Format: Box set Label: Buena Vista Home Entertainment Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment Number Of Items: 4 Publisher: Buena Vista Home Entertainment Region Code: 2 Release Date: 2005-06-27 Running Time: 520 Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
The sitcom may be flatlining, but as long as there are fresh and original series like Scrubs, the prognosis isn't entirely negative. Created by Bill Lawrence, Scrubs is an interns'-eye view of hospital life and the torturous, tragic, and triumphant route to becoming a doctor. The eminently likeable Zach Braff heads the cast as "newbie" J.D., whose years of medical school haven't quite prepared him for chaotic Sacred Heart Hospital. Family Guy has nothing on the live-action Scrubs when it comes to surreal asides and fantasy sequences (for example, J.D. literally becomes the proverbial deer in the headlights when he cannot answer a medical query), pop culture references, and TV Land casting (John Ritter guest stars as J.D.'s negligent father in "My Old Man," and St. Elsewhere veterans William Daniels, Ed Begley, Jr., Stephen Furst, and Eric Laneuville appear as Legionnaire's-stricken doctors in "My Sacrifical Clam"). With surgical precision, this inaugural season charts J.D.'s growth as a doctor and a human being, and the close-knit bonds he forms with his equally overwhelmed peers and colleagues, including best friend and surgeon Chris Turk (Donald Faison), beautiful, but raw-nerved and by-the-book Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke), and supportive nurse Carla Espinoza (Judy Reyes'), who affectionately nicknames J.D. "Bambi." But at the heart of the series is J.D.'s relationship with his mentor, Dr. Cox (an Emmy-worthy John C. McGinley), a cross between Obi-Wan Kenobi and a pit bull. Giving Scrubs a further shot of adrenaline are recurring characters Jordan (Christa Miller Lawrence), Dr. Cox's satanic ex-wife, and Neil Flynn as the Janitor, who torments J.D. just as Larry Miller menaced Jerry in the Seinfeld episode "The Doorman."
Scrubs' animated sensibility allows for inexplicable cameos by Jimmie Walker or, at one point, an impromptu West Side Story-esque dance-off to convey the schism between the surgeons and other doctors. But while hilariously funny, Scrubs can break your heart too, as in the two-parter "My Occurrence"/"My Hero," with guest star Brendan Fraser as Jordan's spontaneously spirited brother, who is diagnosed with leukemia, and "My Old Lady," in which J.D., Elliot, and Chris experience for the first time losing a patient. Whether you're a "newbie" or devoted viewer, this DVD release is just what the doctor ordered. --Donald Liebenson, Amazon.com
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: SCRUBS: You May Not Want to be Treated By Them, But It Would be Great to Work With Them... Comment: Scrubs is so Brilliant There Aren't words to describe it... Dammit.
But Simply Put, If Any show had to win the best american Comedy - This is it. From the Misshaps of "My First Day" to the the end of the Intern's first year in "My Last Day" Scrubs is something that is not to be missed...
So Just Sit Back, Scrub Down and Ready you Veins for an Injection of SCRUBS... Customer Rating: Summary: Goofy, corny and cheesy? Not so much... Comment: When I got this DVD, I thought it'd be one of those overdone American sitcoms, with canned laughter, bad charactorisation and plots that went for laughs over a good moral. Kinda like the worst aspects of 'Friends' and 'Happy Days' - glib eye candy.
But, oh boy, how wrong was I! It turns out that the comedy is far more understated and subtle, and that it is balanced by its natural dark twin; tragedy. The story lines do not back away from sometimes having a sad moral, with the season ending being a wonderful example of this.
Oh, and, best of all, there is no canned laughter! Nope - not one single snigger - a joke is a joke, whether you notice it or not, and it is not your gullible duty to laugh at it...
And there are also the characters. From the extremely witty Dr Cox, to the brainy bimbo Elliot, there is depth and insight into the charactors, and they are not all Zack Braff-esque, which makes the interplay surprising and interesting. There are also well-cast cameos in the form of the Janitor's dad as the drill sergeant from 'Full Metal Jacket', among others.
So, overall Scrubs is definitely worth a watch and, considering it has 24 episodes in the series, it is a bargain as well!
Trouble is of course, if the Americans have learned the art of Irony, Drama and consistently good writing, what place is there now for British Sitcoms? As the cliche goes, I will leave you that thought to take away... Customer Rating: Summary: AMAZING!!! Comment: This show is unique. It is weird and wonderful and addictive. There is a fantastic cast, all hilarious in their own way and together make a show that you can't help laugh at. This sitcom deals with some real issues that some shows would be too scared to include, but Scrubs manages to pull it off perfectly. If you are looking for a fantastically funny sitcom that you could watch over and over, you want Scrubs. Customer Rating: Summary: You'll never go to hospital again Comment: If you love medical dramas, this is the show for you. Or not. This is not another E.R. This is a medical drama with a twist. None of the doctors in this series is "normal", they all have their little quirks, or big quirks. Even the main character. You will not stop laughing from beginning to end. And you will have many good moments thanks to the crazy janitor. The best guy in the show. Customer Rating: Summary: Soooo Funny. Comment: I only just started watching this after my mates said how good it is and they are right. My favourite character - Dr Coxe
