The beginning of the 2026 TV schedule has already delivered the returns of some of television's hottest series, but the long-awaited revival of one fan-favorite won't arrive until late February. ABC's Scrubs reboot recruited the major stars from the original series, which ran for nine seasons from 2001 - 2008. Despite viewers still being weeks away from seeing Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke and others back in their scrubs, the stars are being honored for their work on the medical sitcom at an upcoming TV celebration.
The 14th annual SCAD TVfest in Atlanta is honoring the Scrubs team with the Cast Award, with Zach Braff (J.D.), Donald Faison (Turk), and Sarah Chalke (Elliot) in attendance as stars and executive producers of the upcoming reboot. Other original series stars like Judy Reyes (Carla) and John C. McGinley (Dr. Cox) will be back as recurring guest stars, with Reyes busy elsewhere on ABC with High Potential. Braff has also confirmed how the new show will include a touching tribute to the late Sam Lloyd, who played the scene-stealing Ted.
In light of the original run of the series lasting for nearly 200 episodes over nine seasons, is it any surprise that original cast members returning to their beloved roles are already considered worthy of an award? This will also be a return to SCAD TVfest for Faison, who spoke with CinemaBlend about filming in front of a live studio audience for his then-new sitcom, Extended Family, in 2024. (The NBC comedy has since been cancelled.)
With past honorees including Sophie Skelton for the award-worthy Outlander and Hiroyuki Sanada, who celebrated Shōgun's "authenticity" before winning a Critics Choice Award for it, take a look at the full list of honorees at this year's SCAD TVfest:
- Aldis Cross (Cross), the Luminary Award
- Ali Larter (Landman), the Distinguished Performance Award
- Jeff Probst (Survivor), the Legend of Television Award
- Lili Reinhart (Hal & Harper), the Spotlight Award
- Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), the Variety Creative Showrunner Award
- Jackson White (Tell Me Lies), the Rising Star Award
- Bridgerton (Netflix), the Outstanding Achievement in a Series Award
- The Pitt (HBO Max), the Impact Award
- Scrubs (ABC), the Cast Award
The timing is just about perfect for several of these awards, with The Pitt starting the new year with some big wins at the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globes. The first half of Bridgerton's fourth season will premiere just days before TVfest kicks off. Jeff Probst has certainly earned the status of a television legend, with Survivor's milestone 50th season arriving on CBS in February. And of course, Scrubs will premiere as a revival on February 25. (In a twist, Survivor on CBS and Scrubs on ABC will be direct competitors in the 8 p.m. ET time slot on Wednesdays starting in February.)
Abbott Elementary continued its streak of representing network TV comedies on the awards circuit with a long-awaited CCA win for Janelle James. Tell Me Lies premiered on Hulu in mid-January, Landman was renewed for a third season by Paramount+ in late 2025, and Hal & Harper certainly proved Lili Reinhart's versatility on the small screen after six seasons of Riverdale on The CW.
The 14th annual SCAD TVfest will run from February 4 - 6 at the Savannah College of Art and Design's campus in Atlanta, GA. Tickets are available now for the celebration of television and streaming, with several panels honoring showrunners, writers, artisans, and more from shows including (but definitely not limited to) The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, For All Mankind, Rick and Morty, and Deli Boys in addition to the honorees.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
