In a big win for fans of old medical comedies, John C. McGinley is back as Dr. Perry Cox in the highly anticipated Scrubs revival, bringing one of TV’s most famous surgeons back to Sacred Heart Hospital. The revival, which debuted on ABC on February 25, 2026, is the first new season of Scrubs in sixteen years. It has already sparked interest in the show again on streaming services and social media.
The new season, informally known as “Scrubs Season 10,” follows Dr. J.D. (Zach Braff) and his friends Dr. Turk and Dr. Elliot Reid as they deal with the changing world of modern medicine. In a “recurring guest capacity,” John C. McGinley returns as Dr. Cox, the sharp-tongued, deeply caring attending physician who was once J.D.’s unwilling mentor and the chief of medicine at Sacred Heart.
Early reviews say that the revival hasn’t lost its signature humor or heart. Critics have praised how it balances funny and emotional moments. The first two episodes, “My Return” and “My 2nd First Day,” quickly got high ratings and a 90% critics’ score and almost perfect audience score on major review sites. This shows that Scrubs still has a loyal and engaged fanbase.
In the revival, Dr. Cox comes back not just as a grumpy teacher, but also as a exhausted, aging doctor who is facing his own death and relevance in a hospital now run by a new generation. In a key scene, Perry Cox passes out at the nurses’ station and is diagnosed with microscopic polyangiitis, a rare autoimmune disease that can cause multiple organs to fail quickly.
McGinley talked about how the story shows that even the toughest doctors can feel weak when medicine turns inward in an emotional interview. “It’s the alpha trying to deal with fear,” he said, referring to Cox’s request to J.D. to keep him alive long enough that his death won’t make his protégé cynical about the profession.
Scrubs is one of many TV shows that have come back in the 2020s, along with hits like Frasier and King of the Hill. Critics and fans agree that the ABC reboot is different because it brings back the original cast and tone. Along with McGinley, series creator Bill Lawrence is back as executive producer. Original stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, and Judy Reyes are also back.
There is already talk of a second season because the revival was so successful. Lawrence has hinted that Dr. Bob Kelso (Ken Jenkins) could come back if the show goes on. Scrubs is one of the biggest TV revivals of 2026. Its stories are both nostalgic and new, showing that classic medical sitcoms still have a place on TV today.
