Random Thought of the Moment: Why, ABC? Why?! Edition

I love "Scrubs."

I have every episode on DVD. I’ve seen every episode multiple times. I have the "Scrubs"-related private jokes with my girlfriend, brother and friends. I even have the "Scrubs"-related private jokes that are too insider-y for even my girlfriend (who was the one that turned me on to the show in the first place).

So why am I totally bummed that the show just got renewed for a ninth season?

Let me count the ways.

1. The show peaked sometime in season four and has been on a steady decline in quality ever since. This is a fact. Of course, another fact is that "Scrubs" is still pretty funny, but it’s simply nowhere near as consistently brilliant as it was. I’ll admit that I’m selfish and that it’s painful for ME to watch a show that’s a shadow of its former self.

2. Then again what show IS brilliant after nine seasons? This is especially true of comedies, where jokes and punchlines are more likely to be recycled. At some point, you just run out of ideas and stories to tell. When a show does a musical episode, that’s a clue that it’s running out of ideas - "Scrubs" did its musical episode TWO years ago. Need more proof? The show dedicated a winking episode ("My Déjà vu, My Déjà vu") about how it’s resorted to recycling jokes. This episode aired THREE years ago.

3. Apparently, Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke (pictured, left with creator Bill Lawrence) agreed to shoot six "transitional episodes" and Judy Reyes "may only return as a special guest star" for the new iteration of "Scrubs." Only Donald Faison (Turk), John C. McGinley (Dr. Cox) and Neil Flynn (The Janitor) have been confirmed to return full-time. "Scrubs" is NOT "Law & Order." The reason we watch the show is because we love the characters and the ways they relate to each other (You’re going to give us Turk, but no Carla?!). J.D. is the freakin’ narrator of the show! After eight years, you’re going to ask us to commit to an entirely new group of people and still call it "Scrubs"? That’s a dealbreaker!

4. More than anything, this is messing up a(n almost) perfect script. The show had a writers’ strike-shortened seventh season, only to be saved by ABC at the 11th hour and given a creatively resurgent eighth farewell season, capped off by a beautiful, "Big Fish-esque" sendoff to the show’s main character and to the show itself. It just FELT like the end because it WAS the end.

Only it’s not.

If ABC wants to bring back some of the creative team and center the show around the new interns introduced this past season (which is apparently the plan) that’s fine - just DON’T call it "Scrubs." "Scrubs" ended perfectly a few weeks ago.

Only, apparently, it didn’t.