The List: #14 Scrubs

#14
Number of Seasons (To Date): 7
Years Active: 2001 - Present
Network: NBC

Possibly one of the most underappreciated shows on television, Scrubs follows the daily goings-on at a hospital. But unlike most medical shows on TV, the preceding statement is pretty accurate. There isn't a medical crisis every week; instead, the series looks at the lifestyle of a hospital as well as what it's like treating patients who aren't constantly at death's door.

Scrubs has its fair share of fantasy to go along with the major dose of reality it presents; lead character J.D. is a daydreamer, and we are treated to onscreen views of his bizarre fantasies. It doesn't take much to send him off into the twisted world of his head (just mentioning the name Alice made him wander into The Brady Bunch), which is a good thing for us, since nearly 100% of these sequences are laugh-out-loud hilarious.

The entire cast is hilarious, and they appear to have wonderful chemistry. Some features on the DVD sets give us evidence that improvisation is allowed on the set (alternate line readings are featured, and they are often as good as what made it into the show), and good improv would not be possible without a cast that didn't get along.

Sadly, this show has barely gotten by these past seven years; the audience seems to have been just big enough to sustain the series for another year. The most recent season wasn't as good as the ones that have come before it, but it was still very enjoyable. However, it was supposed to be the final year, until the writers' strike occurred, and though NBC kept their promise that it would be the final year on NBC, ABC has picked up the series to do a proper send-off.

Up next: #13...