the best sitcoms of all time, Scrubs is ed for its equally lighthearted and darker moments, a quality that only certain other shows successfully replicate.

These TV shows balance comedy and seriousness through their respective characters and storylines. However, this isn’t the only factor that makes these shows worthy of being compared to Scrubs. Some brilliantly use internal monologues as narration, rely on dark humor to get through the tough times, and delve into difficult topics in unique ways, too. While audiences speculate over predictions for the Scrubs revival, these other TV shows will help tide them over until then.

10 The Good Place (2016-2020)

4 Seasons

The Good Place makes viewers laugh out loud and cry, sometimes in the same scene. The hit show contains an amazing ensemble cast of strong characters, all of whom are very talented when it comes to physical comedy. The Good Place’s true meaning and message is overly philosophical and quite complex, but it doesn’t make audiences feel stupid, something that Scrubs is also known for.

Trying to understand the fairness of life and death is a painful topic, but like Scrubs, The Good Place doesn’t try to glorify the ing of someone important. The Good Place comes from the mind of Michael Schur, who is a legend in the world of sitcoms, and there are a lot of parallels between his work and that of Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence, too. Both showrunners create hilarious duos in their characters, and there are so many to choose from in The Good Place, from Eleanor and Michael to Janet and Michael.

9 Jane The Virgin (2014-2018)

5 Seasons

Jane the Virgin is an amazing TV show with a latinx lead, and there are a lot of similarities between the fiery character of Xiomara and Scrubs’ Carla. There is an interesting mix of representation within romantic and familial relationships in Jane the Virgin that can be compared to storylines in Scrubs as well. Like J.D. with Sammy, Jane the Virgin’s Rogelio recognizes he can be a good father to Baby without being in a relationship with her mother, and he sacrifices a lot in order to be a present parent in his daughter’s life.

Jane the Virgin may be very telenovela and sometimes over-the-top, but it also covers serious topics in between moments of hilarity.

The strong female friendship that grows and develops between Carla and Elliot is similar to Jane and Petra’s, and it’s great to see the pair go from polar opposites to each other’s rock. Jane the Virgin’s best quotes about life and love comes from the narrator, whose true identity isn’t revealed until the finale, and although it’s not quite the same as J.D.'s internal monologue, it still offers an interesting insight on the events of the show. Jane the Virgin may be very telenovela and sometimes over-the-top, but it also covers serious topics in between moments of hilarity.

8 Ted Lasso (2020-2023)

3 Seasons

Although there are hopes and rumors of Ted Lasso season 4, there are currently only three installments of the show to watch, but that’s more than enough to keep viewers entertained. The Apple TV+ hit is another title from Bill Lawrence, and every show of his has a wholesome atmosphere that makes it instantly loveable. The titular character and J.D. share several personality traits. For example, J.D. and Ted are both charismatic, but their ability to talk often gets them into trouble. There are also parallels in the ing characters, too.

Nate starts off as a bumbling and unpopular figure at Richmond F.C., and although his villainous storyline doesn’t do him justice, it’s still great to see his growth. This is similar to Doug’s character arc. While he’s a terrible intern, when he finds his talents working in the morgue, he becomes a success. Roy Kent’s best moments in Ted Lasso could easily be written for Dr. Cox with the football context removed, and they’re both brilliant grumpy mentor figures in their respective shows.

7 Shrinking (2023-Present)

2 Seasons

Not only is Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein one of Shrinking’s co-creators, but he also stars in the show, too. Shrinking’s dark comedy beautifully tackles the fallout of grief from the points of view of many, something that some of Scrubs’ best episodes do brilliantly as well. Tia’s death impacts her family and friends in various ways, but they take one day at a time and carry on with life, just like the employees at Sacred Heart do.

Shrinking focuses on therapists, rather than hospital doctors, but there is still a clear medical link between the two shows. There are loads of parallels between Shrinking and Scrubs, especially with their characters. Paul is the veteran of the group and is the go-to guy for advice, just like Cox, J.D. and Jimmy both try to switch up their approach to their respective fields for the sake of their patients, and Jordan and Liz have hard exteriors with soft underbellies. Shrinking season 3 is already highly anticipated, and hopefully more comparisons between it and Scrubs will become apparent.

6 Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2020)

8 Seasons

Brooklyn Nine-Nine has one of the strongest and most diverse ensemble casts in TV history. In a world in which the characters are real, J.D. and Jake Peralta would absolutely be friends. The two leads are both committed to their jobs, and are technically very good at them, but this doesn’t mean that they take every moment of their lives seriously. The most powerful episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine are still hilarious, undoubtedly, but each one ensures that the topic at hand is always handled respectfully and realistically.

The worlds of policing and medical emergencies are dark places, but like Scrubs, Brooklyn Nine-Nine offers a comedic take on situations that aren’t typically funny. In fact, Scrubs’ John C. McGinley portrays the ignorant head of the Police Union, Frank O'Sullivan, in Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s season 8 arc, which focuses on the real-life issue of police brutality. Although things like Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Halloween Heist episodes, for example, provide plenty of laughs, the show never forgets its core motivation, like Scrubs.

5 Cougar Town (2009-2015)

6 Seasons

Many don’t initially recognize the connections between Bill Lawrence’s Cougar Town and Scrubs, but there are a lot of similarities between the two. The most obvious parallel is the Cougar Town cast, which features Scrubs’ Christa Miller, Sarah Chalke, and Ken Jenkins, to name a few, as main and ing characters. In fact, Ted the Lawyer appears in both Scrubs and Cougar Town, so the two shows technically share a universe.

However, the fact Cougar Town borrows actors from Scrubs isn’t the only reason why the shows feel the same.

Bill Lawrence’s sense of humor is apparent in Cougar Town, and there’s a great balance between the jokes being nice and straight-out horrible. The character development can be compared to Scrubs, too. Jules begins as someone who is hesitant to embrace her new lifestyle, but she later fits into it perfectly, which is similar to Elliot’s early character arc in Scrubs. Grayson is often considered a perfect blend of J.D. and Turk’s characters, and Ellie is essentially a slightly kinder version of Jordan. Although the stories are very different, the heart of Scrubs and Cougar Town are the same.

4 Superstore (2015–2021)

6 Seasons

Superstore does an incredible job of depicting the dramas, as well as the mundaneness, of working the same job for long hours day in, day out. Scrubs sees its characters face a lot of the same things on every shift, yet something is always different. This is an accurate way to describe working in retail, too. The Superstore characters can relate to those in Scrubs because they know how it feels to be constantly working, only to be ridiculously underappreciated and underpaid, despite the extreme efforts they go to.

Jonah and Amy’s relationship in Superstore is similar to J.D. and Elliot’s in some ways. The pair often bicker in earlier episodes, and their personalities clash on paper, but as time goes on, they start to appreciate the best parts of each other. The comic timing and visual gags in Superstore are similar to that in Scrubs as well, and these qualities play a significant part in the success of the two shows. Even though the context and settings of both TV shows are wildly different, the humor of working in a store versus a hospital is rather similar.

3 St. Denis Medical (2024)

1 Season

Although St. Denis Medical season 1 is still airing, the initial episodes are already presenting similarities to Scrubs. The biggest difference between the two is that St. Denis Medical is a mockumentary, although it can be argued that J.D.’s narration provides additional exposition that the documentary-style format also gives. Matt’s unreciprocated crush on Serena is similar to J.D. and Elliot in Scrubs at times, and the fact she thinks the new nurse won’t last is very much like Carla’s initial attitude toward Elliot.

The uncomfortableness shows that even in a comedy, bad things can happen, and a break from the laughter is integral for the overall tone.

One slight criticism of St. Denis Medical is that some jokes fall flat in moments of seriousness. However, J.D. often does things like this, too, and if anything, it highlights the importance of the events. The uncomfortableness shows that even in a comedy, bad things can happen, and a break from the laughter is integral for the overall tone. Despite this, the dynamics and hilarious rapports between characters in St. Denis Medical have a similar feel to Scrubs, and as the new TV show continues to air, there are opportunities for it to grow even more.

2 BoJack Horseman (2014-2020)

6 Seasons

Although BoJack Horseman’s tone is generally more somber than Scrubs, the use of dark humor definitely creates a similar feeling to Lawrence’s medical comedy TV show. The best episodes of BoJack Horseman highlights the harsh realities of mental health and substance abuse, and like Scrubs, it focuses on the events that lead to these issues, rather than just shaming them. Scrubs and BoJack Horseman’s darker moments both come unexpectedly, which makes them even more impactful, especially when it’s wedged in between a comical line of dialogue or gag.

BoJack Horseman’s best quotes are full of wisdom and fantastic life advice, and they often arrive in moments of clarity, something Scrubs achieves well, too. Even though the patients in Scrubs are typically part of the story-of-the-week format, there are some that return, like Jill Tracy. BoJack Horseman also has ing characters who reappear periodically, and like with Scrubs, the stories of these people are easy to invest in. When they do come back, viewers are happy to see them, but they’re also on edge and fear for the fate of these characters.

1 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015-2019)

4 Seasons

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is comparable to Scrubs, specifically through the musical numbers and daydream sequences. J.D. in Scrubs frequently dwells on the hypotheticals, something that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Rebecca also does. Even though there is only one musical episode of Scrubs, season 6’s “My Musical,” Crazy Ex-Girlfriend offers a song and dance number in most installments. Rachel Bloom’s TV show is brilliantly comical but contains storylines that focus on darker themes, and while it’s definitely more somber than Scrubs, it also feels lighthearted.

Most TV shows with an ensemble cast don’t typically have a singular character that pushes the narrative forward with their particular point of view, which is why Scrubs is so unique. Although Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has a main character in Rebecca Bunch, her friends and colleagues are just as important to the story, and so it’s easy to see how the characters are similar to the Scrubs cast. Amongst the hilarious gags and slapstick comedy, there’s a lot of wisdom and life lessons, which is exactly what works about Scrubs, too.