Ever on the lookout for a new television show (my favorite entertainment genre), I decided to give Scrubs a try after catching up on "The Office" DVDs. Though not thoroughly disappointed or anything like that, after completing this entire first season I am very ambivalent about continuing on with the series.
Basically, the show revolves around four hospital interns (narrated from the perspective of Zach Braff's "J. D." character) and their crazy experiences. Auxiliary characters include the crotchety old Chief of Medicine, the tortured, tough-guy image Doctor, and the mysterious janitor who thrives on making life as miserable as possible for J. D. While the show is obviously a comedy at heart, it also contains a strong human-interest aspect that sees its characters grow throughout the season, not just remain static from episode to episode.
However, the "problem" with this show (though not by any internal error) is that it doesn't measure up to its contemporaries in its two key departments: cut-away gags and the character-driven angle. In terms of the types of jokes (cut-away mock-ups, primarily) most often used, the show pales in comparison to Family Guy's hilarious randomness. Plus, that human-interest angle just isn't as compelling as the cast of The Office.
Thus, although the first season of Scrubs is decent enough when evaluated on its own, it just doesn't live up to others currently on the air. Those who are easily offended by the material of Family Guy will appreciate the tamer atmosphere of this show (while continuing with the cut-away gags), but otherwise you might find it a bit boring and stagnant.
Perhaps sometime in the future I will return to the series to see if the writing/characters are amped up a notch, but right now I am content to leave off after Season One and stick with my other fare.
Basically, the show revolves around four hospital interns (narrated from the perspective of Zach Braff's "J. D." character) and their crazy experiences. Auxiliary characters include the crotchety old Chief of Medicine, the tortured, tough-guy image Doctor, and the mysterious janitor who thrives on making life as miserable as possible for J. D. While the show is obviously a comedy at heart, it also contains a strong human-interest aspect that sees its characters grow throughout the season, not just remain static from episode to episode.
However, the "problem" with this show (though not by any internal error) is that it doesn't measure up to its contemporaries in its two key departments: cut-away gags and the character-driven angle. In terms of the types of jokes (cut-away mock-ups, primarily) most often used, the show pales in comparison to Family Guy's hilarious randomness. Plus, that human-interest angle just isn't as compelling as the cast of The Office.
Thus, although the first season of Scrubs is decent enough when evaluated on its own, it just doesn't live up to others currently on the air. Those who are easily offended by the material of Family Guy will appreciate the tamer atmosphere of this show (while continuing with the cut-away gags), but otherwise you might find it a bit boring and stagnant.
Perhaps sometime in the future I will return to the series to see if the writing/characters are amped up a notch, but right now I am content to leave off after Season One and stick with my other fare.