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Zach Braff's Next Directorial Project: Swingles

BuzzSugar — Thu, 21 May 2009 11:30:14 -0700

Fans of Garden State may be pleased to know that Zach Braff will once again take to the director's chair for the comedy Swingles, which already has Cameron Diaz in a lead role. Braff will also star alongside Diaz, as "a bachelor who is dumped by his wingman and teams up with a sharp-tongued woman he can't stand in order to meet singles."

I have often found that people either love or hate Garden State, and though I probably couldn't watch it a million times, I definitely loved the movie when I first saw it. I liked Braff's style, and I especially appreciated his use of music (that soundtrack is certainly popular). In fact, I'd love to trade playlists with Zach Braff.

Do you think Braff should stick to acting, or are you curious to see what he'll do as a director with a new comedy? Is Cameron Diaz a good matchup for him?

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TV Tonight: The Scrubs Finale

BuzzSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:30:00 -0700

It's hard to know what exactly to call tonight's episode of Scrubs. Series finale? Season finale? The Last Time You'll See Zach Braff On Scrubs Except Maybe That's Not Even True?

This was all a bit more clear-cut a year ago, when Scrubs made the leap from NBC to ABC for what was supposed to be its final season. Braff said he was done (though he's said he'd be willing to drop by again), and creator Bill Lawrence started working on another show. But within the past few months, there have been rumblings that Scrubs could keep going, even without Braff, Lawrence, or any of the other original cast members who move on to other jobs.

So maybe we should just call tonight JD's big farewell and leave it at that? The episode takes place during his final shift at Sacred Heart, and it's designed to give closure to a number of storylines. Whether we need that closure or not remains to be seen, but it looks like it should be a sweet reward for Scrubs fans who have stuck by the show for all these years. Will you be watching the finale - and do you think it should be the last episode of Scrubs ever? To check out a couple of clips, just read more.

Scrubs Could Return For a Ninth Season

BuzzSugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:15:54 -0700

I was so excited when ABC picked up Scrubs from NBC last year, because I thought that would give the show an opportunity to go out with the kind of finale it deserved. Well, that finale is just a week away now - and there's word that it might not be the end of the show after all.

This isn't the first time we've heard Scrubs renewal buzz, but it's starting to seem more serious, considering that ABC and Executive Producer Bill Lawrence are reportedly talking about budget and which cast members could return for a possible ninth season. Zach Braff has said this season would be his last, and several of the others (Donald Faison, John C. McGinley, and Neil Flynn among them) have been cast in pilots that are currently under consideration. But that wouldn't necessarily keep some or all of them from returning part-time, and the show does have a new crop of interns who could keep things going.

Scrubs hasn't exactly been going crazy in the ratings, but apparently it's been consistent enough that ABC might want to keep it around. And the Hollywood Reporter suggests that its renewal could mean good things for Better Off Ted, too, as there's talk of "possibly extending the pairing into next season." But would people keep watching Scrubs for another year - especially if the original cast members were only around occasionally? Has the show already told its best stories, or is there life in it yet?

Scrubs Returns With Courteney Cox

BuzzSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:30:33 -0800

If you're a Scrubs fan, there's one important thing to remember about tonight's premiere: The show makes its debut on ABC, not NBC, its previous longtime home. So tell your friends and check your DVR: The Sacred Heart doctors have, as the ads have been saying, found "a better place to operate."

The general consensus seems to be that in its new (and likely final) season, Scrubs is better than it's been in years. And that's good news, because if the show is really wrapping up this year, I'd love to see it happen on a high note. The first couple of episodes are going to be a little less silly, because, as Bill Lawrence said, "the show has to be borderline real for people to give a sh*t." (Fair enough.) But that doesn't mean it's not still clever and funny.

It also has Courteney Cox on board for a few weeks, starting with tonight's two new episodes at 9 and 9:30 p.m. The guest-starring gig led to her taking the lead in a new series from the Scrubs creator, and I'm excited to see her doing comedy again. Her character, the new chief of medicine, is described as a mix of "super-friendly and soulless," and that's clear just from a couple of clips. To check them out, read more.

First Look: Scrubs Season Eight With Courteney Cox

BuzzSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:30:24 -0800

I'm telling you, I have such high hopes for this season of Scrubs. For what's most likely the show's final batch of episodes (and at least the last ones for Zach Braff), Scrubs has hopped over to ABC, and back at the TCA press tour, the cast couldn't have seemed happier about the move.

The show's gotten Courteney Cox to tag along for a few episodes, a gig that was apparently successful enough that Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence is now building a whole new show around Cox. Matthew Perry will stop by as well. Oh, and there's a big Bahamas wedding and a whole new batch of interns (including the hilarious Aziz Ansari) to try to wrangle, which could lay the groundwork for any future seasons if ABC does want to continue the show.

The biggest draw for the first few episodes, though, will definitely be Cox, who starts with the show's season premiere on Jan. 6. To watch the clip of her introduction, plus a promo for the season as a whole, just read more.

Scrubs Sparks a Laugh Riot at TCA

BuzzSugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:37:12 -0700

The cast of Scrubs just got offstage a few minutes ago at the TCA press tour, and my stomach still hurts from laughing. The Sacred Heart crew seems so grateful to have what Zach Braff called "a bonus year" to work together after narrowly escaping cancellation (well, several times) at the hands of NBC. Now on ABC, whose studio arm has produced the show since the start, Scrubs seems creatively refreshed - I'll say that I personally laughed harder at the brief trailer for the new season than I have at any episode in years. There was enough material in their 45-minute session to fuel several posts (and probably a stand-up special for executive producer Bill Lawrence), but I'll just share a few of the best tidbits now:

The million-dollar question: Is this the last year of Scrubs? "It is most likely Zach Braff's final year on the show," Lawrence said. But he said he's always thought the show could be like the comedy version of ER, with new actors coming in. We'll see new interns this Fall, including the hilarious Aziz Ansari. Regardless of whether ABC decides to bring the show back for another year, "We're certainly going to film the last one like it's young Zach Braff's exit and make a big deal out of it," Lawrence said.
For Braff's part, he said he does have the sense that it's his last year - but he "would love to come back and visit, direct some, do craft service if they need some . . . "
Lawrence said the characters will change a little bit this year (partially because now they'll be the bosses of a whole new group of young doctors). "One of the things that sometimes bums me about television as a TV fan is, we like continuity. We don't want our characters to change," Lawrence said. "At the same time, once you reach the seven- or eight-year mark, you're like, when the hell are these people going to change?"

To hear a little bit about some of the new episodes - which Lawrence said are "as good as anything we've done" - and see what's taking the cast to the Bahamas, just read more.

Ken Jenkins (Dr. Kelso) is still a regular on the show, so we'll definitely see him next year.
Lawrence said that because of the uncertain status of Scrubs for the past several seasons, the finale has been written for "about four and a half years - we just have to change some pop culture references." Lawrence would only offer that the end would be JD leaving the hospital, with a sense that the theme would be about "when you leave, whether you can hold on to your relationships or not."
He also said that the show will be over when we learn the Janitor's name - but Neil Flynn offered up his own suggestion in the session: "Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFake" (or possibly McFate; it was hard to tell).
Lawrence on Courteney Cox's appearance: "She is what we call a gamer. She is up for anything. I don't think you get that all the time with high-profile actresses." He said while the main cast was at the TCA panel, Cox was back on set "with her face jammed into some guy's bloody corpse," filming a fantasy sequence.
The cast spent a week filming in the Bahamas, which Lawrence called "one of the best experiences I've had." The plot: The Janitor is getting married, and he invites 700 people to the Bahamas on short notice to get the gifts. JD tries to convince people to show up and ruin his wedding.
Fun fact: Lawrence himself will play the minister who marries the Janitor and his wife-to-be.

Help Zach Braff Make A Music Video!

BuzzSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:30:43 -0700

The folks over at Popwatch received an interesting phone call from Zach Braff promoting a contest of sorts for would-be filmmakers. He put out a call to action for people to submit their visions for a music video he's directing for his friend Jay Clifford's song "Know When to Walk Away." Braff wants people to "film themselves lip-syncing the track" though it sounds like he's prepared to be wowed by all kinds of creativity. He told Popwatch:

It's about regular people making their own version of the video, with a concept of their own that highlights something about themselves, who they are and where they live. "Know When to Walk Away," you could make it about a job, about a bad situation in your life, about anything.

Braff is going to edit together the best scenes he receives alongside the footage he's already shot of Clifford singing the song. The first thing that popped into my mind was the end of Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video and Braff himself acknowledged a similar concept was done in a recent Nickelback video, but he says that's not at all what he envisions. He also told Popwatch that people should save videos about "getting kicked in the balls" for YouTube. Ha!

So are your creative juices bubbling yet? I think this is a fun idea and can't wait to see the finished product. You can listen to the song and get more information on this project at the contest's site.

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Braff, Braff, and Denman to Make Drama For Fox

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:30:45 -0800

Braff squared!
Wondering about Zach Braff's post-Scrubs plans? Here's one thing on his list: Braff plans to direct a Fox drama pilot written by his brother, Adam Braff.

OK, but who's that other guy in the picture?
That's David Denman, also known as Roy from The Office (and/or the guy who wasn't injured after skydiving without a parachute, for all you Grey's Anatomy fans). He's been cast as the pilot's main character.

What's the story?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the potential series - Saint of Circumstance - is about "Wayne (Denman), a man going through a midlife crisis who quits his dead-end office job to be a paramedic on the night shift."

OK, but isn't there a writers' strike?
There sure is - so the pilot won't start filming until it's over. That's better for Z. Braff, anyway, since his work on Scrubs will be done.

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Stuff I Learned From Zach Braff and Bill Lawrence

BuzzSugar — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:30:00 -0700

Tonight on NBC it's the beginning of the end for the Scrubs gang. Sigh. I recently got to chat on the phone with creator/producer Bill Lawrence as well as Dr. John Dorian himself, Zach Braff. From the sound of it, these guys are facing their seventh and final season on TV with a Scrubs-appropriate mixture of mirth and sadness.

I'm going to miss the Sacred Heart crew, though at pretty much any time of evening we can catch reruns of Scrubs on a few different channels, so at least they won't be too far away.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here - the seventh season hasn't even started yet! Check out tonight's episode, "My Own Worst Enemy," and if you have more questions for Lawrence you can always submit them to him yourself online.

Chatting with Braff and Lawrence, I learned the following stuff:

At the end of the series, J.D. will have grown up... at least somewhat.
Lawrence stated that he thinks the ending of the show will be unsatisfying for people if J.D. hasn't matured. Zach, however, says he looks at the show as a kind of comic strip, "The audience really want to sort of check in with their favorite characters and see what they’re going to do this week. They don’t really want them to evolve too much... They want to come home and check in with the people that make them laugh. They want to see the Janitor be the Janitor and Todd be bisexually weird. They want to see J.D. be a goofball and Dr. Cox yell at him. So I think that we’ve done a good job of evolving them slightly, but also giving the fans what they want, which is to see the characters be themselves."

For more of the Q&A, read more

The J.D. and Elliot thing will be resolved, one way or another.
Lawrence has this to say on the topic of whether J.D. and Elliot will end up together: "You know, Zach always says there’s no way you can satisfy everybody. If you go on to our fan sites there’s a lot of people that want them together and then there’s a lot of people that say that’s not what this show is about. I think the answer is right in the middle. This show was never a 'will they or won’t they' show, you know? It was not Ross and Rachel... That’s not what this show has been about. It’s been about all the relationships. That being said, Zach and Sarah as actor and actress, have made people invested in this. So I am going to resolve it, but I’m not going to make that the end of the series. I think that it’ll happen before people expect it to happen. I think I put a lot of clues what I’m going to do along the way."

At the end of the series, Janitor's real name will definitely be revealed.
Apparently, Lawrence has always promised actor Neil Flynn that Janitor will eventually get to have a name and a girlfriend, and he says he had to make good on both of those this year. Lawrence said, "When you hear him addressed by a real name, that means the show is over."

This season's "big" episode will be a fairytale-style episode, based on The Princess Bride.
According to Lawrence, "Every year we choose one episode to spend a whole lot of money on and try to be our showcase thing. And this one’s an homage to The Princess Bride. And, you know, Zach’s the village idiot, Sarah’s the princess and the Janitor is a giant. And Todd is the Fairy Todd Something."

Ideal guest stars? David Cross as Tobias Fünke and John Cusack
Apparently, Zach has been campaigning to bring Tobias Fünke onto Scrubs as either a doctor or a patient, but hasn't been successful. As for Lawrence, it's been killing him that John Cusack hasn't been on the show. "That’s the only new guest star I would [care] about just because he was such a seminal figure comedically for me, as just that everyman that you could identify with."

The character of Dr. Cox is based on Bill Lawrence's father-in-law.
Lawrence's wife is Christa Miller who plays Dr. Cox's catty wife on Scrubs and her father was this scary, intimidating doctor on whom Lawrence based the character of Dr. Cox.

Lawrence has ideas for the final episode - but wants to hear fan input anyway.
Hence the online message board that Lawrence apparently does read very carefully. He said, "The truth is I’ve known how I was going to end this show for a long time because I thought it was going to end the last year and the year before at one point or another... As far as the finale ideas, I know what I want to do. I just wanted people - and I’ve been reading it - to weigh in on things that they do and don’t want to happen because it helps me get a gauge for what people are expecting and what people don’t want to see. And, you know, I’m still going to make up my own decisions. But it’s been really kind of informative. I think it’s really just about hopefully rewarding the people that stuck with it so long that they have a good feeling when the TV goes off."

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Ask Scrubs Creator Bill Lawrence Anything - Seriously!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 06:30:00 -0700

The season premiere of Scrubs may still be over a week away, but creator Bill Lawrence wants you to start thinking about the show right now. According to a video he uploaded onto YouTube, Lawrence wants Scrubs fans to submit their questions to the show's message boards and he promises to answer each and every one of them. From "trivia questions" to inquiries about how they came up with the characters, Lawrence wants to hear it all.

Apparently Lawrence is even looking for suggestions on how to end the series. So get thinking!

To check out Lawrence's fumbling and funny video message (in which he makes it clear that he, um, doesn't actually know which night Scrubs airs), read more

Photos courtesy of NBC