Battle On

“Scrubs” Is Twice as Good as “Grey’s” in Half the Time
by Mark Batalla

Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian, the main character of “Scrubs”, once said in reference to an inferior medically themed show about the lives of interns becoming full-fledged doctors, “Oh, I do love that show. It’s like they’ve been watching our lives and then just put it on TV.”

He’s right. “Grey’s Anatomy” is nothing more than a rip-off with a heavy dose of melodramatic chick flair and eye candy.

“Grey’s” is the ratings powerhouse on Thursday nights, but since when do ratings determine the quality of a show? “Arrested Development” and “Futurama” never got the ratings they deserved despite their well-written content. Syndication is a better judge of a quality and popularity. “Scrubs” airs on three different channels multiple times a day in the Santa Barbara area. All “Grey’s” has is a plan for a spin-off. That’s just proof of the show’s bloated cast and inability to properly craft enticing stories within its hour-long time slot.

“Scrubs” may be half as long as “Grey’s,” but it accomplishes more than twice as much in its allotted time. Most “Scrubs” episodes are accessible stand-alone stories that can be watched out of order. The characters are simple archetypes, but they’re given memorable personalities and lines. “Grey’s,” on the other hand, is composed entirely of generic troubled characters with too many interconnected relationships to keep track of at any given moment due to its soap operatic nature.

Don’t be fooled by “Scrub’s” classification as a comedy. Instead of simply piling on the emotion, it cleverly juxtaposes humor with the drama. The absurd comedic moments ironically ground the cast’s acting. It enhances the weight of their reactions to serious situations without looking like scene-stealers.

There is no comparison. Pacing, character development, writing, acting, soundtrack and even first-person narrative. “Scrubs” wipes the floor with “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Daily Nexus art director Mark Batalla can’t do this all on his own, he’s no Superman.