Rebooting a TV series is never that simple. To take something that was adored by fans only to then re-package it several years later is much like glueing together a broken plate.
But despite the difficulty, several hugely popular TV sitcoms have decided that now is the time to bring back their shows.
Towards the end of last year, the first teaser for the Malcolm in the Middle revival dropped after the creators of The Inbetweeners confirmed that the hit UK comedy will be making a sensational return to our screens.
But for die-hard fans of Scrubs, who announced an official reboot in July 2025, large portions of viewers have shared their fury over what appears to be an iconic character missing from the reboot… or so it seems.
After releasing the first trailer for the new series, written by Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso), fans spotted familiar faces from JD (Zach Braff) to Christopher Turk (Donald Faison), Turk’s wife Carla Espinosa (Judy Reyes), Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke) and chief of medicine Bob Kelso (Ken Jenkins).
However, missing from the sneak peek is the Janitor (Neil Flynn), who enjoyed some unforgettable rivalries with JD.
Taking to social media, @factotiempo said: ‘Glad to see all the leads back, but no janitor guy 😢 he was the best,’ as @retrokatg also declared: ‘No janitor, no scrubs.’
Writing beneath, Scotty added: ‘I love Scrubs but this ain’t it without janitor.’
Joel also angrily questioned: ‘Where. Is. The. Janitor?’
However, despite the anger, some Scrubs fans seem to have a theory as to when the Janitor could be returning.
What does Metro think of the Scrubs reboot?
Our TV reporter Milo Pope shares his thoughts…
When it comes to the word ‘reboot’ in television, there is generally a trepidation.
In what is an extremely fast paced environment where the barometers for what is a hit seems to be constantly moving, viewers are right to question whether a revival is worth tainting the legacy of the original source material.
But if you’re like me, and you’ve experienced that dreaded feeling of despair when you have to say goodbye to one of your favourite TV shows that you have just adored, then I think fans need to start becoming more comfortable with the idea of revivals.
Whether or not the new Scrubs series will prove to be as good as the original, the show’s creators and cast have earned the right to have another go, especially if they’ve got something new to say.
Much like the Inbetweeners reboot, which looks as though it is going to follow each of the characters as they enter adulthood and become parents, this new Scrubs series could be surprisingly touching.
If Bill Lawrence’s recent hot streak with Ted Lasso and Shrinking isn’t enough to convince you to watch this, my advice is to keep an open mind and allow yourself to be surprised without writing off something that has not even aired yet.
Posting on social media, @salvadorfreits screenshotted an image from the trailer that appears to show a picture of the Janitor on the wall, as if he was one of the chief executives of the hospital.
Captioning the picture, they wrote: ‘That’s Kelso and the Janitor on the wall, right? They’re not coming back, are they?’
Supporting this theory, Devin added: ‘He’ll be in it if not season 1 they’ll make sure for season 2.’
This comes after Braff told Esquire earlier this month that the Janitor and Dr Kelso, who was featured in the trailer, could feature in the future if the reboot is renewed for a second season.
‘Well, the true answer is, if we’re blessed to have a second season, absolutely,’ he said.
‘And the real answer for season one is we’re not fully sure yet. Episodes eight and nine of the nine-episode order are still being written.
‘They both are interested in doing it. But do we have the bandwidth in the first nine to get to it all and service a story that would be worthy of Ken and Neil? That might come true.
‘At this point, I can’t tell you the answer, but most definitely, if we are lucky enough to get a season two, that’s something we want to do.’
Scrubs is available to stream on Disney+.
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