It is very rare for me to take the time to watch sitcoms anymore. For the most part they tend to be little more than a re-hash of everything else that has been done for the last 40 years. The real Golden Age of the sitcom for me was the 1970’s, where classics were created that have endured the test of time. What has been lost in recent times is relay the same thing that has been lost in the realm of the Hollywood movie… creativity. But occasionally, and I guess I should say rarely… a sitcom comes along that creates new levels of comedy and dares to be different. About six years ago I actually sat down to catch the first episode of a series called “Scrubs.” I honestly don’t remember why. Since I generally shy away from most sitcoms, the fact that I caught this one is nothing short of amazing. And of course, that’s exactly what the series turned out to be… nothing short of amazing. Told from the point of view of a group of interns at a hospital, “Scrubs” immediately delivered rapid fire jokes and irreverent imagined fantasies… all without seeming to take a breath.

I laughed long and hard at that first episode and was ready for the following week. There wasn’t a single let down throughout the entire first season, my biggest fear becoming the thought that the network would cancel it at any time. Five seasons later, thankfully, it’s still going strong.

I’ve stuck with the show for these last six seasons for a variety of reasons. First and foremost is the incredibly strong and multi-talented cast. Headed up by then newcomer Zach Braff as J.D. Dorian, “Scrubs” became a staple in out household. Braff has since gone on to direct and star in the critically acclaimed “Garden State”, a film that I consider amongst the best of 2004. The big surprise for me casting-wise was that of Sarah Chalke as Elliot Reid. Previously I had only seen her as one of the daughters in the series “Roseanne”, but as I vehemently detested that series (until giving it another chance recently on DVD), I only caught her a few times. In “Scrubs”, she is as much the comedic center as Braff, and their rapport is priceless.

As much as I’d like to mention every member of the cast, it would take me most of the day. But I will say that the casting of John C. McGinley as Dr. Perry Cox and Ken Jenkins as Dr. Bob Kelso was a brilliant move on the part of the show’s creators. Jenkins is a familiar face in both film and TV, and here he is allowed to become one of the biggest two-faced jerks you’ll ever see. To the patients he comes across as a real caring and devoted doctor… but put him in front of the interns and his horns literally grow out of his head. McGinley, who has long been on my list of favorite character actors, is terrific in this series. He is tough as nails, and often comes across as psychotic, but as you learn more about the character you see why.

This leads me to the other big reason I love the series so much. As whacked out as it can get with its little fantasy sequences, “Scrubs” has another side that allows moments of real emotion to shine through. There is, in the first season, an episode that deals with the three main interns and how each of them handles losing their first patient. It is a powerfully moving episode, and ranks up there with some of the best I’ve seen on TV. In some ways I want to compare it to “M.A.S.H.”, even though it differs completely in style and content. What it does share is a strong emotional core and a certain believability factor to these characters. The fantasies, however outlandish, seem to be exactly what most people might imagine in certain situations, while the moments of poignancy are touchingly real.

Buena Vista is releasing the entire 25 episode run of the 4th season on DVD this week, and I’ve been waiting as patiently for it as I could. The 3-disc set not only contains the episodes, but the studio went the extra mile to make sure that the extra features flowed in abundance. Featurettes and commentaries fill up the discs, much like they did in the release of the 1st season set.

Amongst these great features (which, except for the set's 2 commentaries, show up on the 3rd disc), you'll find featurettes on the flirtatious side of the hospitals women (The Sweethearts of Sacred Heart), the shows set of second string actors (The Weapons Chest), an interview with Donald Faison (Donald Keeps Talking), J.D.'s never ending quest for approval from Dr. Cox (Will You be My Mentor?), and you even get to discover the secrets of the mysterious janitor (Who is that Man?). There are also a few deleted scenes and alternate takes as we ll as a music video for the song "Half."

“Scrubs” has (thankfully) made it to a 6th season (and I believe is getting a 7th but possible without Braff), which in this day and age is a shock when the series is actually this good. “Scrubs” is a great show that deserves a great DVD release and Buena Vista has certainly done the job.

Episodes:
My Old Friend's New Friend
My Office
My New Game
My First Kill
Her Story
My Cake
My Common enemy
My Last Chance (Commentary by Zach Braff)
My Malpractice Decision
My Female Trouble
My Unicorn
My Best Moment
My Ocardial Infarction
My Lucky Charm
My Hypocritical Oath
My Quarantine
My Life in Four Cameras (Commentary by Sarah Chalke)
My Roommates
My Best Laid Plans
My Boss's Free Haircut
My Lips Are Sealed
My Big Move
My Faith In Humanity
My Drive-By
My Changing Ways

Starring: Zach Braff, Donald Faison, John C. McGinley, Neil Flynn, Ken Jenkins, Judy Reyes, Sarah Chalke
Extras: Will You Ever Be My Mentor?, The Sweethearts of Sacred Heart, The Weapons Chest, Who is That Man?, Donald Keeps Talking, Deleted Scenes, Alternate Lines, "Half" Music Video by G Tom Mac
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Buena Vista Home Video
Release Date: 10/10/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Scrubs: Season 4 an A.