Scrubs Reboot Announced: The Heartbreaking Fates of Beloved Cast Members Revealed

Fifteen years—is that the right amount of time for an iconic TV show to disappear before it gets a second chance? Or, more to the point, are we even ready to see Turk and JD do their “guy love” dance one more time, considering everything that’s changed (and let’s be real, everything that’s stayed comfortingly the same) in the world since Scrubs took its last bow with that infamous final season? This reunion season isn’t just serving up a spoonful of nostalgia—it’s pulling out the paddles, yelling “Clear!” and shocking our sitcom-hungry hearts back to life. I’ll admit, as someone who’s lost hours (days?) to belly laughs and weepy monologues in Sacred Heart Hospital, the idea of bringing back the old crew thrills me. But it’s bittersweet, too. While Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke and Donald Faison are back—like comfort food you shouldn’t overindulge in but absolutely do—some beloved faces are missing, and not for lack of popularity or fan demand. Death, that uninvited guest to every great sitcom reunion, has robbed us (and the reboot) of a few unforgettable characters. So, here we are, prepping for the comeback party, but with a few empty chairs at the table. Does that make you smile—or tug your heart somewhere deeper? Either way, this new season of Scrubs is about to remind us what it means to laugh and grieve—and, maybe, why TV reunions hit so hard these days. LEARN MORE

After 15 years, Scrubs is officially coming back for another season of TV.

The hit TV show ran for nine years, ending with a critically panned final season in 2010, in which much of the main cast left at the end of the season prior.

Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison have all been confirmed to return with Bill Lawrence having previously hinted as to how long the reboot show could potentially go on for.

Scrubs fans will still be hopeful that several of the most important names on the show are still set to return for the reboot, with Variety promising that more are likely to come back for the reboot.

Sadly however a few key characters will not be returning because the actors who played them have since passed away.

Sam Lloyd – Ted Buckland

Sam Lloyd died of cancer (NBC)

Sam Lloyd is undeniably the biggest part of the show that will not be returning as he played the beloved character of Ted.

Ted was the Sacred Heart hospital’s lawyer who was frequently abused by Dr Kelso, the hospital’s Chief of Medicine.

Lloyd was an integral part of the show, appearing in 95 episodes, roughly half of the show’s 182 episode run. He announced his health issues publicly when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2019, passing away in April of 2020.

The actor was just 56 when he died.

Zach Braff paid tribute to the actor on Twitter, calling him one of the funniest actors he ever worked with.

He went on to say: “Sam Lloyd made me crack up and break character every single time we did a scene together. He could not have been a kinder man. I will forever cherish the time I had with you, Sammy.”

John Ritter – Sam Dorian

Ritter’s death was incorporated into the show (NBC)

Ritter played JD’s Dad Sam in the show with whom the main character had a tumultuous relationship.

His character passed away following Ritter’s real-life death leading to the season four episode My Cake revolving around it. This saw JD’s brother Dan show up at his door with a cake, a sign of bad news in their family, and tell him their Dad was dead.

Ritter died in 2003 of Aortic Dissection with his family suing the doctors involved and the hospital. The suits were settled out of court for a total of £14 million.

Braff described the famous comedy actor as his ‘comic hero’ and recalled how he had convinced Bill Lawrence to try and cast him as his father in the show.

Matthew Perry and other actors who played small roles on the show

Perry appeared in one episode of Scrubs (NBC)

Friend star Matthew Perry was a number of comedy icons to appear on the show, starring for one episode as a man who is tracked down when his father needs a kidney transplant.

The actor died of a Ketamine overdose following a relapse, leading to a trial involving several of those who supplied him with the drug.

Lee Thompson Young is another actor who starred on Scrubs and has since passed away. The actor played a young intern in the later seasons of the show, being the character with the fewest episodes to perform the voice over for an episode.

He committed suicide in 2013.