EXCLUSIVE: Now in its final stretch, the Scrubs reboot’s lengthy road to the screen has taken another turn with a behind-the-scenes change. One of the series’ showrunners, Tim Hobert, has stepped down, with the other, Aseem Batra, assuming the duties solo, Deadline has learned.
Hobert and Batra co-wrote the opening episode of the new ABC series from 20th Television, which reboots Bill Lawrence’s popular 2001 medical comedy with the original cast, including Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes and John C. McGinley, reprising their roles. Hobert, whose departure is said to be due to creative differences, will remain credited as executive producer on at least the first five episodes, sources said. The followup, which held its first table read in late September, is slated to begin filming its third episode later this week, I hear.
Lawrence executive produces the reboot; he does not have showrunner involvement because of his exclusive overall deal at Warner Bros. Television. Also executive producing are Braff, who directed the first episode, Faison, Chalke, Batra as well as Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer of Lawrence’s Doozer banner.
Both Hobert and Batra worked as writers on the original Scrubs under Lawrence: Hobert served as co-executive producer, executive producer and consulting producer; Batra as story editor, executive story editor and co-producer.
In the reboot, which received a straight-to-series order by ABC in July, JD (Braff) & Turk (Faison) scrub in together for the first time in a long time — medicine has changed, interns have changed, but their bromance has stood the test of time. Characters new and old navigate the waters of Sacred Heart with laughter, heart and some surprises along the way.
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