Real Injured People Would Turn Up To The "Scrubs" Hospital Looking To Get Treated, And 20 More Behind The Scenes Facts About The Iconic Series

The Janitor was supposed to be a figment of JD's imagination. 🤯

Scrubs was one of the most beloved and unique shows, and it certainly got me through my younger years. From fun fantasies to genuinely heartbreaking moments, it had a bit of everything.

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Well, I've been rewatching the whole thing*, which made learning what happened behind the scenes even more fascinating!

*on Disney+, if you're wondering.

1. The hospital used in the pilot wasn't the actual one the filmed in the rest of the series in.

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In fact, after the pilot, they moved all the filming into a real abandoned hospital. The writers wanted to really portray a hospital short of funds and a bit run down, and this abandoned one proved the perfect location!

2. All the dressing rooms, bars, and apartments were also in the hospital.

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Apart from a couple of locations, pretty much all the bedrooms, apartments, and bars that were used for the show were all built into old hospital rooms.

3. Zach Braff (JD) went on rounds with real doctors to prepare – even visiting patients with them.

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Zach shadowed real doctors to see what it was like interacting with patients, which he admitted must have been strange for the patients... 

4. The x-ray at the end of the intro is actually backward.

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On Donald and Zach's podcast, Donald said that he thinks this may have just been a mistake, rather than an intentional bit!

Kim (Dr Briggs) actually addresses the mistake in a future intro:

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5. On the theme song, Zach was the one who found it.

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Yup, we wouldn't have the iconic theme music if it wasn't for Zach listening to it and then pitching it to Bill, who agreed it was perfect for the show! 

6. They tried to add the Janitor to the intro and slow the music down for season two, but the fans revolted! Here's the short-lived changed one.

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7. John C McGinley, who played Dr Cox, would get the script for some monologues the night before, the same day, or even 25 minutes before the shoot!

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In fact, John had to have his dressing room soundproofed so he could concentrate on learning his ridiculous monologues without Zach and Donald Faison (Turk) distracting him with their goofing around. 

Here are some of his most iconic monologues.

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8. The Janitor was initially part of JD's imagination.

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At first, when creator Bill Lawrence thought the show may be a lot shorter than it turned out, the Janitor was written as a part of JD's mind. But, as he was such a fan favourite, he became part of the (corporeal) furniture after season one. 

9. Much of the Janitor's lines were improvised.

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While many of the cast had opportunities to add lib here and there, Neil Flynn (Janitor) was by far the most common improviser. In fact, even written into the script they'd just have "Neil says something funny". 

Here are some of his best lines:

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10. They did a medicinal weed plot that got scrapped.

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That's right – they wrote a whole storyline about medicinal marijuana, but for one reason or another, it all got cut!

11. Donald (a huge Star Wars fan) pleaded with Bill to let him be in the star wars fantasy – it was just supposed to be Kelso and Cox initially.

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12. Jordan is played by Bill Lawrence's wife Christa Miller, so Zach had to make out with the show's creator's wife, for him!

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13. Of course, so did John C. McGinley.

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14. There’s a real JD (Jon Dorris), who our JD was actually based on.

Bill Lawrence @VDOOZER

That’s my best pal, @Realjaydee2 - he’s great on ZB and Donald’s podcast “Fake Doctors Real Friends” but is even more of a rock star at his day job with all the other health care/front line workers. Much thanks to them all. Wear a mask. https://t.co/QhtxcQl1w3

12:28 AM - 04 Dec 2020

Twitter: @VDOOZER

That's right! Bill's college mate Jon Doris is the real JD! Not only would he help out with advice and medical jargon, but JD's lifestyle and general progression throughout the seasons were also tailored around Jon's experiences.

15. Elliot was also based on John Doris' wife, Dolly.

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Bill clearly used is surroundings for inspo, because he named another character after the real-life Elliot – Molly Clock was named after JD's wife, Dolly Clock!

16. They'd also interview doctors about their experiences to make it accurate.

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In order to get an idea of the trials and tribulations that working in a hospital entails, the writers would interview real doctors and nurses. These interviews would inform certain side plots or episodes – they did their homework! 

17. Sometimes patients would come onto the set with ailments thinking it was an actual hospital.

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And then of course be super confused by all the people dressed as doctors telling them they weren't in a hospital.

18. Ted's mum in the picture is actually the actor, Sam Lloyd's mum.

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The writers said, "we need Ted to have a picture of his mum" – so Sam Lloyd just brought one of his own!

19. Ted's band was also a band in real life called The Blanks.

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The great late Sam Lloyd was part of a real acapella group, which is the one used as the hospital group.

Here are some of the acapella group's best scenes in the series:

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20. This Elliot and JD sex scene took an entire day to film!

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The choreography was actually fairly complicated so they had to do it over and over, leading to some sore jaws! 

21. The network didn't want to do this iconic long opening scene.

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Chris Hayes (of Men at Work fame) became a key component of Scrubs, including being behind this famous elongated musical intro. The network was actually really against such a long intro, but it stayed in (thankfully). 

A lot of these scoops came from Donald Faison and Zach Braff's podcast Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald which is a great listen if you love the series!

What was your fave Scrubs moment? Let us know in the comments below!