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Happy Thanksgiving From BuzzSugar!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 04:00:25 -0800

Hello, dear readers! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! May your day be filled with delicious food and family warmth and, of course, your favorite forms of entertainment. Today I am thankful for all of you!

For the special holiday, I'm posting clips from a Thanksgiving episode of Scrubs in which JD has to have his appendix removed and can't enjoy Thanksgiving. The best line is toward the end, from a wistful JD: "Ah, uncomfortable silences and alcohol, just like Thanksgiving at home."

To watch, just

Buzz News Roundup, 11/17

BuzzSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:30:27 -0800

Monk has been renewed for an eighth — and final — season. — Variety
ABC's official midseason schedule adds Scrubs and The Unusuals to Wednesdays — and drops Life on Mars and Pushing Daisies. — The Futon Critic
Aaron Eckhart will star in the action film Battle: Los Angeles. — ComingSoon
CBS has ordered more episodes of Gary Unmarried and Worst Week. — The Hollywood Reporter
Maya Rudolph will guest-star on Kath and Kim. — TV Guide
50 Cent's album release has been pushed to January. — Billboard
Nigel Lythgoe and Michael Flatley are bringing a new dance competition show to NBC. — Zap2it
NBC is developing a comedy based on the life of Criss Angel. — Variety

Photo courtesy of USA

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:30:14 -0800

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Oh, man, I am so excited that Hellboy II is out on DVD today. Even though the Summer was jam-packed with superhero movies, this sequel to Hellboy did not get lost in the shuffle for me. Guillermo del Toro lets his imagination fly in this second installment and the movie is littered with creatures and goblins that are a sight to behold.

I could go on and on about my love for this big red tough-guy-with-a-soft-spot-for-kittens but I'll stop here. Basically, if you didn't catch it in the theater I'd highly recommend bringing it home. Special features include an in-depth look at the creation of Hellboy II, a peek into the production workshop puppet theatre, deleted scenes and a tour of the Troll Market with Guillermo del Toro!

One more title up next so

Link Time! 9/30

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:30:48 -0700

A modest proposal: No more old people on reality TV. — TV Filter
First photos from the set of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland are popping up. — Cinematical
New TV cast additions that worked. — TV Squad
Rachel McAdams says the film version of The Time Traveler's Wife is "distilled down to the love story," and that it's not a chick flick. — MTV Movies Blog
Was your childhood influenced by Judy Blume? Share your formative Judy Blume experiences! — Popwatch
One of my great fears: Is Michael Cera "two or three steps from being over"? — Defamer
Apparently, the America's Next Top Model video game hits shelves Nov. 7. — geeksugar
The Scrubs gang knows how to party — complete with photo booth pictures. — Pop Candy

Photo courtesy of CBS

Buzz Brainteaser

BuzzSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:30:35 -0700

Welcome to Buzz Brainteaser, the trivia feature on BuzzSugar! Every weekday I'll test your knowledge about TV shows, music, and movies. If you enter in the correct answer, you win points! In the Scrubs episode "My Best Friend's Wedding," what Beatles song does Ted's band end up playing at Turk and Carla's reception?

Sarah Chalke on Britney, the Bahamas, and Braff in a Speedo

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:30:15 -0700

As funny as the Scrubs panel was at the TCA press tour, it would have been even better if we'd gotten to hear more from Sarah Chalke. So after the panel, I was one of a few reporters who chatted with Chalke about the future of Elliot, the joys of being back at work, losing co-star Zach Braff after this season, and filming in the Bahamas. Here's how the conversation went:

What was it like working with Courteney Cox?
We had such a good time. Courteney — I was very excited, cause she's playing a chief of medicine, and she's in a little black skirt, four-inch heels — we actually took a tape measure and measured both of our heels and they were both four inches. I was like, "You see, Bill [Lawrence, the executive producer]? Doctors, this is how they have to dress!" She's hysterical. We are so lucky to get to have her for three episodes and I hope she comes back and does more.

How was your experience working on How I Met Your Mother?
It was kind of last-minute. They called, like, on a Monday night — they said "Do you watch How I Met Your Mother"? I said, "Yeah, I love that show, it's hysterical." They're like, "Can you be here tomorrow morning?" They were like, "You're going to be playing a doctor, again," and I was like, "Great, can I bring my lab coat as my blankie?" And then — it's the nicest group. What a fun cast. You can tell they all really genuinely love each other, get along and have a great time working together.

And working with Britney Spears?
She was great. I mean, she played such a fun, quirky character, and she came in there and did her job.

Do you want to be the mother?
Who could hope for that? That's crazy!

For a hint from Chalke about a possible "something-or-other" between Elliot and JD,

Scrubs Sparks a Laugh Riot at TCA

BuzzSugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:37:12 -0700

The cast of Scrubs just got offstage a few minutes ago at the TCA press tour, and my stomach still hurts from laughing. The Sacred Heart crew seems so grateful to have what Zach Braff called "a bonus year" to work together after narrowly escaping cancellation (well, several times) at the hands of NBC. Now on ABC, whose studio arm has produced the show since the start, Scrubs seems creatively refreshed — I'll say that I personally laughed harder at the brief trailer for the new season than I have at any episode in years. There was enough material in their 45-minute session to fuel several posts (and probably a stand-up special for executive producer Bill Lawrence), but I'll just share a few of the best tidbits now:

The million-dollar question: Is this the last year of Scrubs? "It is most likely Zach Braff's final year on the show," Lawrence said. But he said he's always thought the show could be like the comedy version of ER, with new actors coming in. We'll see new interns this Fall, including the hilarious Aziz Ansari. Regardless of whether ABC decides to bring the show back for another year, "We're certainly going to film the last one like it's young Zach Braff's exit and make a big deal out of it," Lawrence said.
For Braff's part, he said he does have the sense that it's his last year — but he "would love to come back and visit, direct some, do craft service if they need some . . . "
Lawrence said the characters will change a little bit this year (partially because now they'll be the bosses of a whole new group of young doctors). "One of the things that sometimes bums me about television as a TV fan is, we like continuity. We don't want our characters to change," Lawrence said. "At the same time, once you reach the seven- or eight-year mark, you're like, when the hell are these people going to change?"

To hear a little bit about some of the new episodes — which Lawrence said are "as good as anything we've done" — and see what's taking the cast to the Bahamas, just

Courteney Cox Doctors Up Scrubs

BuzzSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:30:21 -0700

Courteney Cox has booked her first post-Dirt TV role, and I'm liking the sounds of it. She'll soon be hobnobbing with Zach Braff and co. when Scrubs takes up its new post on ABC this Fall.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Cox will play Sacred Heart's new chief of medicine, taking over for the recently retired Dr. Kelso. She's signed up for three episodes so far, and her character is intended to "ruffle feathers," according to EW's source.

A quick survey of the Sugar offices showed that we can all picture Cox playing a doctor — and, in fact, we wondered why she hadn't popped up on any of TV's many other medical shows before. Plus, Scrubs will give her a good chance to show off her comedic chops again, and it can only help the show get some buzz on its new network. And if Dirt showed us one thing, it's that Cox is good at torturing her underlings. Which Sacred Heart staffer can you most easily picture Cox giving a hard time?

Source

ABC's Fall Schedule: My Take (With Video!)

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:30:24 -0700

I just finished watching ABC's upfront presentation to advertisers, where the network's executives went over the schedule that was announced this morning and showed clips of the new shows — including Life on Mars, pictured above. The presentation gave me some insight into what ABC's thinking with its schedule, which only includes two new shows for the Fall:

Basically, Fall 2007 was so nice, ABC wants to do it twice. "By far, we had the best Fall in decades," entertainment president Stephen McPherson said, "and then came the lovely strike." So the network is mostly doing it over, bringing back the majority of the new shows from last year.
That doesn't mean ABC isn't actively developing shows for later in the year: They've picked up 20 pilots, split pretty evenly between comedy and drama.
McPherson promoted a few of those shows in his presentation, including Four Play, the new comedy from Will and Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick. If the show is as funny as those two were just talking about it, we'll be in for a treat.
Also funny: clips from ABC's remake of the Web series In the Motherhood. It reminded me a bit of Bravo's Significant Others if all the characters were moms battling bratty children.
On the downside, the presentation ended with clips from Wipeout, the game show with people falling and running into things. The voiceover dared me not to laugh. I didn't laugh.

To see what I thought of the new shows — Life on Mars, reality show Opportunity Knocks, and animated series The Goode Family — and see clips and pictures of them for yourself, just

ABC's Fall Schedule: Like 2007 All Over Again

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:30:02 -0700

ABC revealed its Fall TV schedule at the 2008 upfronts this morning, and, well, it looks pretty familiar. The network is bringing back many of the new shows it introduced last Fall, plus renewing a large number of its other series.

Only two new shows will be on the schedule come Fall: The adaptation of British series Life on Mars and a reality show called Opportunity Knocks, a sort of mobile game show produced by Ashton Kutcher. Among last year's shows, Eli Stone is indeed returning, while Women's Murder Club, Cavemen, Miss Guided, Cashmere Mafia, and Carpoolers said farewell.

ABC has a couple of other shows ready to go for midseason, including an animated series called The Goode Family from Mike Judge and yet another Kutcher-produced reality project, this one a beauty pageant that has Tyra Banks on board as well. And then there's Scrubs, relocated from NBC, which will also premiere at midseason.

Here's ABC's official press release, and to check out the full schedule and descriptions of the new shows, just

TV Tonight: Scrubs and 30 Rock Sign Off for the Season

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:30:01 -0700

It seems like just yesterday we were getting our TV shows back, and tonight, a couple of them are leaving us already. Scrubs and 30 Rock have the first finales of this screwy May sweeps period, and both episodes look like they're not to be missed.

First off, Scrubs. It's a curious case right now, anyway, as this should have been the show's series, not season, finale. NBC didn't want to renew the show for another year, and it seemed doomed to end without a proper finale — until ABC, which produces the show, stepped in and said it wanted to air another season itself. The announcement hasn't been officially made yet, but it's expected to come at next week's upfronts. In any case, the show is bidding its farewell to the NBC Thursday night lineup with a blockbuster episode playing homage to The Princess Bride, with some sets and costumes that must have blown the show's budget for a month.

Then, on 30 Rock, Liz Lemon might be pregnant! Well, Floyd and Dennis have both been in town recently . . . Also, Jack officially leaves GE for DC, where he finds things aren't quite what they expected. I'm most excited for the guest stars in this episode, which include Edie Falco reprising her role as CC and Matthew Broderick playing a character named Cooter. It was funny just typing that.

To check out a promo for the two finales — plus new episodes of My Name is Earl and The Office, which have their finales next week — just

TV Tonight: Earl, 30 Rock, The Office, and Scrubs, Oh My!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:30:38 -0700

After a long, dark Winter, it's time to laugh again. For the first time in months, NBC's whole Thursday comedy lineup is new. That's right: The Office, Scrubs, and 30 Rock all return tonight, and I'm looking forward to nothing more than popping some popcorn and settling in for a long night with my favorite funny folks.

Between these clips and my interview with Rainn Wilson and Greg Daniels, I have a pretty good sense of how tonight's Office is going to go: Michael and Jan throw a dinner party; inappropriateness and hilarity ensue. As for the other three shows:

On Earl, a still-comatose earl continues living out his dream life with Billie and their new baby boy. Meanwhile, Randy realizes that every item he completes from Earl's list helps Earl get better, so he turns his attention to a stolen motorcycle.
On 30 Rock, we finally get a peek at Jack Donaghy's immensely successful reality show, the steamy MILF Island. Meanwhile, someone gives Page Six some nasty quotes about Jack and pressures the writers to give up the traitor.
On Scrubs, Turk decides to learn Spanish for Carla as an anniversary present, and there's some kind of caper involving Dr. Kelso's breakfast.

Getting excited yet? You can check out a promo for all four comedies and a scene from 30 Rock if you

Buzz In: What Fictional Engagements Made You Cheer?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:30:00 -0700

As you probably saw earlier today, it's wedding season here on the Sugar Network, and we're kicking things off with an engagement theme. While many of the other Sugar sites will have all kinds of practical advice for the newly engaged, I wanted to take a moment to escape into pure fantasy. Which couples from movies, TV, and even books were you glad to see get engaged?

Personally, I always swoon when I think about Carla and Turk's engagement on Scrubs. Things didn't go so well for Turk the first few times he asked (here's one of his sweet but misguided public displays of affection), but finally, Carla gave in and let him pop the question for real. That scene proves that you don't even need dialogue for a proposal to be sweet — though an Old '97s song can help. To check it out, and to tell me about your favorite fictional engagements, just

Buzz News Roundup, 3/24

BuzzSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:40:10 -0700

Billboard reports that Maroon 5 and Counting Crows are planning a spring and summer tour together starting July 25.
Gibson Guitar filed a patent infringement lawsuit related to Guitar Hero and Rock Band. According to Reuters, Gibson claims the games "violate a 1999 patent for technology to simulate a musical performance."
Kristen Bell has herself a leading man in Jon Heder who will play her love interest in Disney's upcoming romantic comedy When in Rome, Variety reports. Hopefully this love interest is nicer to Bell than this guy has been. Sheesh.
Sadly, Grammy-nominated singer Corinne Bailey Rae's husband died suddenly over the weekend. A musician himself, he was only 31 when he passed away.

Hollywood Reporter says the Scrubs cast is back to work, though it's still unclear what network they're actually working for.
The longtime friend and business manager of the Beatles', Neil Aspinall, passed away at age 66.
The LA Times reports that the new Pennywise album, Reason to Believe will be free for two weeks to fans starting tomorrow thanks to a partnership with MySpace Records.

Source

Do You Want Scrubs to Continue On For Another Season?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:30:26 -0800

Late on Thursday, the Hollywood Reporter broke news that ABC is in negotiations to pick up 18 episodes of Scrubs for 2008-09. NBC is reportedly not thrilled — while ABC actually owns the show, NBC says it still has the right to negotiate for its future — but if this news pans out, it means the remaining five episodes set to air this Spring would not be the end of the road for the series. In fact, this could potentially keep Scrubs on the air for a while, if Zach Braff and the gang are up for it. This news is at once exciting and worrisome to me. At the very least, this might secure the show the proper series finale that it and its fans deserve and that creator Bill Lawrence wants to make. On the other hand, if the show outstays its welcome on the airwaves, no one may end up caring about its finale anyway. How do you feel? Do you want more seasons of Scrubs?Photo courtesy of NBC

Do You Want Scrubs to Continue On For Another Season?

Yes! I love it, and I'll watch it as long as it's on.

No. The show is already pushing it with me, and its glory days are far behind us.

Maybe. If they at least get a proper ending, another season or two would be worth it.

Buzz Brainteaser

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:30:00 -0800

Welcome to Buzz Brainteaser, the trivia feature on BuzzSugar! Every weekday I'll test your knowledge about TV shows, music and movies. If you enter in the correct answer, you win points! On Scrubs, what is the nickname Carla often uses for J.D.?

Writers' Strike Enters Week Two

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:30:27 -0800

The Hollywood writers' strike entered its second week today, and so far, no new talks have been scheduled between the writers and producers. The industry buzz suggests we should get used to it: The strike could be even longer than the five-month strike in 1988. The walkout is hitting non-writing crew members, and the outcomes are starting to look bleak all around (except over at Fox, where executives believe the strike could be good for the network). Here are some of the headlines from the strike's second week:

Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence refused to write an emergency series finale for his show, and it's not clear what would happen to the unwritten final seven episodes of the series if a strike continues.
When The Office shut down production, 102 non-writing staff members were laid off.
Meanwhile, the staffs of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien will be laid off at the end of the week unless the strike ends or the shows decide to come back — either with their regular hosts or with guest hosts.
Lost executive producer Damon Lindelof has witten an op-ed for the New York Times about the death of television.
Gabrielle Union was working on a deal to play Wilhemina's sister on Ugly Betty before the strike scuttled those plans.
Here's a very detailed list of how many episodes of various series are yet to air.
Variety explains how the strike could affect next year's Emmy Awards.

Among the newest people trying to explain the issues behind the strike: Buffy creator Joss Whedon. Want to hear him try to make sense of things? Just

Writers' Strike Update: The Effects So Far

BuzzSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:35:29 -0800

It's only day two, but already, the Hollywood writers' strike is starting to affect our daily viewing. Late-night shows went into repeats starting Monday; here's some of the other news from the picket lines:

The start of Cashmere Mafia has been postponed. Originally slated to start Nov. 27, the show only has a handful of episodes completed, and the network is reportedly worried about starting a new show that could run out of ready-to-air installments quickly.
CBS has apparently started work on a new season of Big Brother that could air in January or February if a strike is still going on.
Among scripted shows, half-hour comedies shot in front of a live audience are the first to be affected; production has shut down on The Big Bang Theory, 'Til Death, Two and a Half Men, and Rules of Engagement.
Scrubs might finish only 12 of its final 18 episodes if a strike persists.
Many showrunners (aka head writer/producers) have stopped all work on their shows, including Shonda Rhimes of Grey's Anatomy and Tim Kring of Heroes.
Only two scenes from The Office got shot yesterday, and protesters forced filming to stop on one scene of Cane.

As many of you have been saying, focusing on TV and movies is maybe the most shallow view to take during the strike; not everyone has that luxury. Let's hope for a quick resolution so everyone affected can get back to their lives.

Stuff I Learned From Zach Braff and Bill Lawrence

BuzzSugar — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:30:00 -0700

Tonight on NBC it's the beginning of the end for the Scrubs gang. Sigh. I recently got to chat on the phone with creator/producer Bill Lawrence as well as Dr. John Dorian himself, Zach Braff. From the sound of it, these guys are facing their seventh and final season on TV with a Scrubs-appropriate mixture of mirth and sadness.

I'm going to miss the Sacred Heart crew, though at pretty much any time of evening we can catch reruns of Scrubs on a few different channels, so at least they won't be too far away.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here — the seventh season hasn't even started yet! Check out tonight's episode, "My Own Worst Enemy," and if you have more questions for Lawrence you can always submit them to him yourself online.

Chatting with Braff and Lawrence, I learned the following stuff:

At the end of the series, J.D. will have grown up... at least somewhat.
Lawrence stated that he thinks the ending of the show will be unsatisfying for people if J.D. hasn't matured. Zach, however, says he looks at the show as a kind of comic strip, "The audience really want to sort of check in with their favorite characters and see what they’re going to do this week. They don’t really want them to evolve too much... They want to come home and check in with the people that make them laugh. They want to see the Janitor be the Janitor and Todd be bisexually weird. They want to see J.D. be a goofball and Dr. Cox yell at him. So I think that we’ve done a good job of evolving them slightly, but also giving the fans what they want, which is to see the characters be themselves."

For more of the Q&A,

Ask Scrubs Creator Bill Lawrence Anything — Seriously!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 06:30:00 -0700

The season premiere of Scrubs may still be over a week away, but creator Bill Lawrence wants you to start thinking about the show right now. According to a video he uploaded onto YouTube, Lawrence wants Scrubs fans to submit their questions to the show's message boards and he promises to answer each and every one of them. From "trivia questions" to inquiries about how they came up with the characters, Lawrence wants to hear it all.

Apparently Lawrence is even looking for suggestions on how to end the series. So get thinking!

To check out Lawrence's fumbling and funny video message (in which he makes it clear that he, um, doesn't actually know which night Scrubs airs),

What's Your Favorite Medical Show?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 07:30:00 -0700

With "Private Practice" starting up this season, and old favorites like "Grey's Anatomy," "ER," "House" and "Scrubs" returning for more medical crises and hilarious situations, it seems you can't turn on the TV without seeing someone wielding a stethoscope. What's your favorite medical show on TV right now?"Grey's" and "Private Practice" photos copyright 2007 ABC, Inc. "House" photo courtesy of Fox All others courtesy of NBC

Buzz Brainteaser

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 06:30:00 -0700

Welcome to Buzz Brainteaser, the trivia feature on BuzzSugar! Every weekday I'll test your knowledge about TV shows, music and movies. If you enter in the correct answer, you win points! Lazlo Bane sings the song that plays during the opening credits of "Scrubs."
What is the name of that song?

"Scrubs" Fans: Laverne Will Return... Kinda

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 16:03:40 -0700

I'm not above admitting I shed a few tears when sassy, cranky Laverne passed away on "Scrubs" last season, especially when it came to Carla struggling with her grief. My assumption at the time was that the actress who played Laverne, Aloma Wright, had been offered some other gig, and that's why she was leaving the show.

Not so! Apparently, creator Bill Lawrence had assumed the 2006-2007 season would be the final one for "Scrubs," so he wrote a death into the storyline to shake things up a bit. But even back when Lawrence was killing off Aloma's character, he promised Aloma he'd bring her back if the show were renewed. Now that the show is alive (har har) for one more season, Lawrence is keeping his word and bringing Aloma Wright back on board — as Laverne's twin sister, Shirley (yup, the sisters names are Laverne and Shirley).

Shirley's character is vastly different from Laverne's: She's an unmarried alcoholic who's not a religious believer like her late Bible-toting twin sister was. I can't wait to see Laverne again! Even if it's not really Laverne.

Source

Fall TV Rumor Roundup

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 May 2007 16:20:10 -0700

With the upfronts kicking off in New York on Monday, the TV world is buzzing with which shows will be back, which shows are through and which new shows could be big hits in the fall. Nothing's official till next week, but here's some of the buzz today:

TV Guide's Michael Ausiello reports that "Scrubs" will definitely be back on NBC next season. The New York Times, on the other hand, says "Scrubs" is a goner.
"Lipstick Jungle" has joined NBC's slate of new shows, says the Hollywood Reporter.
Kristin Veitch of E! says "The Office" isn't going to be an hour long after all; instead, it will air 24 episodes, including four one-hour specials.

One proposed CBS schedule making the rounds includes the musical "Viva Laughlin," supernatural show "Babylon Fields," and partner-swapping series "Swingtown."
TV Guide has what could be ABC's whole schedule, including "Private Practice," "Dirty Sexy Money" and the possible midseason return of "The Knights of Prosperity."
Fox has already ordered episodes of "Back to You," Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton's new show. Also, at least one report says Fox has renewed "'Til Death.'"

Source

The Highlight Reel: The Week's Best and Worst TV

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 May 2007 14:13:05 -0700

Every Friday, I round up the week's best, funniest, strangest, and most embarrassing moments in television for your amusement.

Have I mentioned that Pam on "The Office" totally ruled this week?

"All rocks. Typical." — Bailey on "Grey's Anatomy," leading three male doctors in a game of rock-paper-scissors.

"I didn't really know what the 1920s was all about. And then I thought of that frog, you know, with the stick, that you'd see in the cartoons and stuff like that. (pause) That didn't help." — Ben on "Shear Genius"

More great quotes and video highlights, so

NBC's Thursday Ratings Hit All-Time Low

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:00:57 -0700

I've always thought of NBC's Thursday night lineup as the most dominant group of shows on TV, from the Must See TV days with "Seinfeld" and "Friends" to the current Comedy Night Done Right block with "The Office" and "Scrubs." But something's gone horribly wrong: Last week's shows drew NBC's lowest Thursday ratings since at least 1987, according to Mediaweek.

I'm baffled, considering that last week was the first time all four comedies plus "ER" were all new since Feb. 21. Plus, ABC's Thursday series — "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy" — aired clip shows instead of new episodes.

"30 Rock" and "The Office" are two of the most acclaimed comedies on TV, and "Scrubs" and "My Name is Earl" have huge fan followings. Even "ER" — which I believe should have ended a while ago — was getting good ratings earlier this season, but last week it got trounced by "Shark."

Are people TiVoing the shows and waiting till the weekend to watch? Has there been some kind of massive revolt against NBC's comedies that I've missed? Or are the shows just simply not connecting with very many people? Whether you tune out NBC's lineup or watch it faithfully, tell me why below.

Source

TV Tonight: NBC's "Super-Sized" Comedy Night

BuzzSugar — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 05:00:46 -0700

Not only do we finally get a new episode of "The Office" tonight, but it's also extra-long — as are new episodes of "30 Rock," "Scrubs" and "Andy Barker, PI." NBC seems to do this sort of thing once a year or so, and while it's kind of annoying to realize that all your favorite shows are starting at unusual times, I like having an extra few minutes tacked on to some of my favorite shows.

Of course, if you're only planning to tune in for a couple of the episodes, note that they're airing at the following approximate times: "The Office" at 8, "30 Rock" (guest-starring Will Arnett!) at 8:40, "Scrubs" at 9:20, and "Andy Barker, PI" at 9:50. That's all capped off by a repeat of "My Name is Earl" at about 10:25.

I emphasize the times because, as we've been told for the past few weeks, we are absolutely not supposed to miss the first couple of minutes of "The Office." You can find the recap of the Jim-Pam-Roy-Karen "love square" here. Or if you just want to see the Roy vs. Jim bit,

Great TV Engagements: "Scrubs"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 05:03:25 -0700

Every day this week, in honor of Engagement Week on the Sugar Network, I'll be featuring my favorite TV engagements, for better or for worse.

Turk didn't exactly get the reaction he was hoping for when he first proposed to Carla during the second season of "Scrubs." She wouldn't give him an answer, so he resolved to keep asking her to marry him every time he saw her. He tried public displays of affection, attempted to prove his maturity, and swore he wasn't like other doctors, but he still wasn't getting anywhere. Finally, as he was about to give up, Carla called. To see Turk's strike-outs — and one ultimate hit —

NBC Shuffles Thursdays, Brings "30 Rock" Back Early

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 16:52:38 -0700

Get your calendars ready, because NBC has just announced some slightly confusing changes to its Thursday comedy schedule. Here are the headlines:

"30 Rock" will be back on April 5 and will air at 9 p.m. instead of 9:30 for the rest of the season.
"Scrubs" will take over the 9:30 p.m. time slot on April 19, after "Andy Barker, P.I." finishes its five-episode run.
There will be a special three-hour comedy night on April 5 with new episodes of "The Office," "30 Rock," "Scrubs," and "Andy Barker, P.I." plus a repeat of "My Name is Earl" — in that order.
The "30 Rock" finale will be April 26 at 9 p.m.
There will be back-to-back episodes of "Scrubs" on May 3.

Whew. Got all that?

I'm glad "30 Rock" will be back sooner than scheduled, but I'm not sure if it means anything that the show won't be airing during May sweeps. Remember, NBC just announced it would do the same with "Friday Night Lights," a similarly acclaimed but low-rated show. Maybe NBC has some kind of grand plan up its sleeve to drum up fans in the off-season? Here's hoping.

Source

The Buzz Reel: The Week's Best and Worst TV

BuzzSugar — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 10:06:14 -0700

Every week on BuzzSugar's weekly clip show, The Buzz Reel, I round up the week's best, funniest, strangest, and most embarrassing moments in television for your amusement.

On this week's Buzz Reel, we have some tender — and "tender" — moments from a few of our favorite shows, such as "America's Next Top Model," "The Simpsons," "Scrubs," and more.

To watch this week's episode,

Zach Braff Is Rollin' In It ... Maybe

BuzzSugar — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 12:28:31 -0800

"Scrubs" star Zach Braff just cut a sweet one-year deal by which the actor will receive about $350,000 per episode — think about that for a minute — for 2007-2008, provided NBC renews "Scrubs" for its seventh season.

This new salary would put Braff in the ranks with Charlie Sheen of "Two and a Half Men" as one of TV's highest-paid male actors right now. Actually, make that highest-paid actors, period, since the highest-paid female actor is Mariska Hargitay of "Law and Order," pulling in approximately $330,000 per episode. (That's nothing, of course, compared to what the "Friends" were raking in.)

Here's hoping the new massive paychecks will be an incentive to Braff and the "Scrubs" team to do better work than the crappy cop-out episode they stooped to last week.

Source

Hey, "Scrubs": WTF?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 13:30:46 -0800

Okay, "Scrubs" has been on TV for a long time, and I've been a consistent fan. It must be challenging to sustain a half-hour comedy for six seasons, but they seem to have done a pretty great job, even pulling off kitschy episodes like a musical and one that used a laugh track to mimic traditional sitcoms. For the most part, they've managed to keep things fresh and fun.

So WTF happened last night?! Using an outrageously weak "plot line" in which a patient has amnesia after attempting suicide, the main characters mull the importance of memory. They go through a series of "memory" montages, throwing together a bunch of clips from previous episodes. For all the lame details,

Link Time! 3/1

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 14:55:11 -0800

Idolator says Pearl Jam is headlining Lollapalooza — for Vedder or for worse.
PopWatch witnesses the big John McCain announcement on Letterman firsthand.
BuddyTV chats with Connie Britton, who better get an Emmy for "Friday Night Lights."
Meanwhile, TV with MeeVee interviews "Smallville" creator Al Gough.
Pop Candy fills us in on Julia Stiles' directing debut.
Stereogum reveals more about the Arcade Fire song switcheroo on "The Black Donnellys."
Best Week Ever also picked up on the Little Miss Sunshine theme in last night's "Lost."
TV Squad has the scoop on a "Supernatural" promo contest.
The Weinstein Company plans to remake Oscar-winner The Lives of Others, Cinematical reports between waves of nausea.
The TV Addict has a fun video interview with Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke from "Scrubs."
Film Experience is puzzled that Zodiac director David Fincher cast Jake Gyllenhaal,

Source

Link Time! 2/8

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:50:54 -0800

Stereogum leads us to The Killers' wonderfully silly new video.
geeksugar tells us about a guy who proposed with an ad on "Veronica Mars."
Popwatch gives us an early evaluation of Judd Apatow's Knocked Up.
TV Guide scoop king Michael Ausiello will be on "Scrubs" tonight!
Pop Candy chats with Jack McBrayer, best known as Kenneth on "30 Rock."
YumSugar dishes about the rumored Stephen Colbert ice cream.
Bloc Party basically recorded its new album twice, and I Guess I'm Floating gives us a taste of the second one.
Reality TV Magazine makes its prediction for the "American Idol" top 12.
"My Name Is Earl" has some surprisingly high-tech extras for tonight's episode, reports TV Squad.
Having seen Norbit, Reeling ponders Eddie Murphy's other big mistakes in life.
Thank you, Best Week Ever, for posting this incredibly timely clip from "The View" featuring Rosie O'Donnell's comments about Anna Nicole Smith.

"Scrubs" As a Hospital Drama?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 05:01:45 -0800

Ever since I found his video of "The Office" reinvented as a thriller, I've been thinking about what other TV shows are ripe for a recut. (After last year's mini-trend of recutting movie trailers, TV shows are bound to be next.)

So I brainstormed with my buddy in the Sugar Publishing video department (a few desks away), and we came up with the idea of re-envisioning the sitcom "Scrubs" as a medical drama. To see how "Scrubs" might play as a serious series,

The Highlight Reel, 1/19: The Week's Best and Worst TV

BuzzSugar — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:50:30 -0800

Every Friday, I round up the week's best, funniest, strangest, and most embarrassing moments in television for your amusement.

Stephen Colbert visited "The O'Reilly Factor" and all he got was this lousy ... microwave?
"There just seems to be a gap in the market. I would love to be able to pull out a speech by Dolce & Gabbana." — Hugh Laurie, advocating adding speeches to the swag baskets at the Golden Globes
On the season premiere of "The Hills," Lauren and her friend Jen are in a club. Jen spots a hot guy and tries to get Lauren to sneak a peek:

Jen: "He's cute."
Lauren: "Who?"
Jen: "Six o'clock."
Lauren: "I don't know where six o'clock is. Where's six o'clock?"
Jen: "Well, that's ..." [fumbling and clock-like hand motions] "Eleven o'clock."

For more snappy quotes and embarrassing moments,

TV Tonight: The "Scrubs" Musical

BuzzSugar — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 13:04:16 -0800

The day has finally arrived! I'm super-excited for tonight's "My Musical" episode of "Scrubs" — and not just because I've had "Guy Love" stuck in my head since I downloaded it on iTunes the other day. (Hey, don't roll your eyes!) I also love Avenue Q, the hilariously filthy, politically incorrect Broadway musical whose composers wrote the music for the episode and whose star, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, plays a patient.

I'm skeptical enough to see how this might not work, but deep down, I think it's going to be hysterical. The clips I've seen so far haven't disappointed — including "Welcome to Sacred Heart", which I just discovered today. To see J.D. and Turk do a kick line while singing about "number two" in "Everything Comes Down to Poo,"

What Thursday TV Event Are You Most Excited About?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 05:34:15 -0800

Tonight is a truly epic night of television. You've got O'Reilly on "The Colbert Report," the Addison/Alex flirtation on "Grey's," the "Scrubs" musical, and potentially shocking revelations on two great sitcoms. What TV event are you most excited about?

What Thursday TV Event Are You Most Excited About?

The unveiling of the mystery woman on "Ugly Betty."

A possible kiss between Alex and Addison on "Grey's Anatomy."

Karen asking Jim if he still has feelings for Pam on "The Office."

The special musical episode of "Scrubs."

O'Reilly as a guest on "The Colbert Report."

Tonight's "Scrubs" Parodies "House"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 12:06:09 -0800

Earlier today, I told you about the brand-new episodes of "Ugly Betty," "The Office" and "The O.C." — all of which are airing tonight. It gets better: New episodes of "Scrubs" return tonight, too! This first episode after the hiatus is titled "My House," and it features Dr. Cox channeling the doctor on "House" in order to solve three mysteries at the hospital. He attempts to figure out the cause of one man's orange skin, a woman's heart trouble, and why Elliot takes out her anger toward Dr. Kelso on Turk. Meanwhile, Carla feels down in the dumps after the birth of her baby, and J.D. tries to give Kim no reason to take the new job in St. Louis.

I can see the similarities between Dr. Cox and Dr. House, and I look forward to the spoof. Mostly, though, I'm just excited for more new "Scrubs"!

TV Preview: "Scrubs: The Musical"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 12:15:55 -0800

The countdown to the Jan. 18 broadcast of "Scrubs: The Musical" is officially on. NBC just released another preview of the highly anticipated episode, this one an an ode to number two appropriately titled "Everything Comes Down to Poo." Besides setting the words "rectal cancer" to music for what has to be the first time ever, it also features a kick line led by J.D. and Turk. You can watch it on the show's official site — just scroll down and click on the box that says "featured video."

The poo song is the second one released from the episode, which guest-stars Stephanie D'Abruzzo — better known as Kate Monster from the Broadway musical Avenue Q — as a patient who sees everything as a musical. The first, "Guy Love," is a hilariously tender ballad that explores J.D. and Turk's almost-but-not-quite-gay relationship. It's available as a free download on iTunes through February. Check it out:

"Scrubs" Does "A Charlie Brown Christmas"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 15:27:14 -0800

Just about everyone loves the old holiday cartoon "A Charlie Brown Christmas," but this parody by the cast of "Scrubs" could also be an instant classic. The 10-minute video uses the original animated footage from the Peanuts special but overdubs it with dialogue from the Scrubs cast playing their usual roles. It's pretty damn funny, as it does a great job blending the Charlie Brown scenes with typical "Scrubs" dialogue. The video was apparently made for a cast Christmas party during season three of the show.