Scrubs' ninth and final season is a strange footnote in the beloved sitcom's history. The show picked up a loyal following in its first eight seasons, ending things on what many consider to be a strong series finale. But the baffling decision was made to bring back the medical comedy for Season 9, which led to its ultimate cancelation.
The eighth season of Scrubs was meant to be its last, so creator Bill Lawrence spent the final episodes wrapping up the stories of his core cast of characters. J.D. left Sacred Heart and he got his happy ending with Elliot, Turk was promoted and Carla was pregnant with their second child, and Dr. Cox was running the hospital. After Season 7 wrapped, Scrubs was originally canceled by NBC and picked up by ABC. But the latter network decided they weren't ready to say goodbye, so the show was brought back for an additional 13 episodes.
Lawrence was up for the challenge but wanted to brand the new season as a spin-off, allowing his ending for Scrubs to remain intact. According to TVRage, he even wanted to call it "Scrubs: Med School." But since ABC had only recently acquired the show, the idea of pivoting to a new property made executives nervous. The new name was nixed, but the network was on board with the med school motif. Original characters such as J.D., Turk, Elliot and Cox cameoed to make the transition easier. But ultimately, fans did not connect to the new concept.
The proof was in the ratings. In its previous eight seasons, Scrubs usually pulled in solid IMDb ratings. Its formerly lowest-ranked season clocked in at a solid 8.1 out of 10. Scrubs reached its ratings peak with Season 5's 8.4. But Season 9 only averaged 6.3 on IMDb. Ordinarily, that'd be a fairly respectable rating for a television season, but dropping two full points in the ratings is pretty significant. Those IMDb scores were reflected in low viewership as well.
Despite its massive popularity, Scrubs never faired too well with critics, as it was nearly always on the cancelation bubble each season. Continuing Scrubs for a ninth season was always going to be a gamble, and the failed middle ground between continuation and spin-off didn't help the sitcom's near decade-long battle with critics. In fact, many argue that the complete tonal shift is what led to Scrubs' demise.
The comedy's final cancelation is a lesson in listening to the show creator's instinct. The Season 8 finale was sweetly poignant, silly and charming all at once. It blended all the best elements of Scrubs into one episode, making it a great note to go out on. If Lawrence was able to end the show his way, that's how Scrubs would've been remembered. But with ABC forcing one last season, the show is forever tarnished. You'll be hard-pressed to find another show with an entire season whose fans and cast members refuse to acknowledge as canon.