I am – Hercules!!
ABC foolishly decided to carry on with “Scrubs” without the help of writer-producer Kevin Biegel, who has moved on to create the Wednesday-night smash “Cougar Town.” Most of the old cast are back for the premiere, but most of the returnees will be slowly phased out of the series as it soldiers on. ABC wisely waited till “NCIS Los Angeles” went into repeats to launch this reboot, but the president’s speech tonight places its launch against the start of a new “Biggest Loser,” and “Loser” is a rare NBC powerhouse. Not all the critics who bothered to review this new “Scrubs” seem terribly pleased with it: USA Today give it one star (out of four) and says:

… The result is a deadly, deal-driven mistake that takes a network that has made great sitcom strides forward one unfortunate step back. This semi-new Scrubs retains everything that had grown tired about the once-sterling original (the internal monologues, the fantasies, the self-conscious absurdities) and adds on a new cast of characters who would be startlingly unappealing if they weren't so instantly forgettable. … And while Braff is a fine actor, his performance in this role, with its increasingly excessive mock-feminine flourishes, has become so self-indulgent as to be virtually unwatchable. Time of death, 9 p.m. Call it, ABC.

The New York Times says:

… None of the new regulars make much of an impression in these two episodes; for now, their bland sameness outweighs their character tics (one’s neurotic, one’s overprivileged, one’s a regular guy). But if you look back eight years, J. D. and Elliot and Turk weren’t that funny to begin with either. …

The Los Angeles Times says:

… "Scrubs" has been watching "House" and is better for it. New candidates helped revitalize that show two years ago, a neat trick that preserves the familiar pecking order while allowing for new plot shades. ( "Grey's Anatomy" has done this too, with less success -- new kids, same problems.) None have the immediate charm of Aziz Ansari's Ed Dhandapani, one of last season's new faces, but they're able foils, especially Drew, who quickly finds his doppelgänger in Dr. Mahoney (Eliza Coupe), one of last year's interns, who has a similarly brusque manner. "If you're going to kill yourself," she tells the new students, "do it off campus, because it is a buttload of paperwork." …

The Chicago Tribune says:

… Part of me wants the "Scrubs" graft to take, but another part of me wonders if ABC should have simply pulled the plug. The main problem Season 9 of "Scrub" is that Lucy Bennett (Kerry Bishe), the medical student around which the new season revolves, isn't all that funny or winning, and she needs to be one of those things for "Scrubs" to truly work. The fault really isn't Bishe's, the problem is more that her bland, tentative character just isn't that entertaining,at least in the first two episodes. Lucy certainly doesn't have the doofy, dorky charm that made Braff's J.D. and his voiceovers engaging for so long. …

The Washington Post says:

… having members of the previous cast remain even temporarily -- Braff will only appear in six episodes -- weighs down the premiere. As great as it is to see J.D. and his BFF Turk have a glorious, slow-motion reunion while "Guy Love" -- the power ballad from Season 6's musical episode -- plays in the background, the inside jokes detract from getting to know the new characters.…

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:

… It's not terrifically awful, but it's also not as reliably fun as "Scrubs" was in its prime. There's too much time spent with the old characters to get viewers invested in the newbies, giving the show a divvied up feel. …

The Newark Star Ledger says:

… a solid little comedy, in which "Scrubs" fans can recognize the spirit of the show they loved, even if it's not "Scrubs" at its best. Some of what's holding the new show back is how much carryover there is from the old one. … Bishe has her own panicked energy, but the narration feels like it should be retired with J.D. …

The Boston Herald says:

… It’s easy to spot the newbies - they’re the unlikable ones. … Braff is set to star in about half the episodes, and so trades voice-over narration - and nutty fantasy sequences - with Bishe, but it’s unclear whether she has the skills to anchor the series. She’s not helped by the writing. In the second episode (at 9:30), “Our Drunk Friend,” “Scrubs” steals from itself as Lucy learns a lesson every other character has endured. The one unpleasant variant? J.D.’s apparent betrayal. Yet for all the shaky vital signs, there’s one thing that’s certain about the retooled “Scrubs”: It’s still funnier than anything on CBS’ sitcom lineup.

The Boston Globe says:

… At this point, “Scrubs’’ has turned its original style into a formula; the fantasy sequences are more predictable, the earnest denouements are automatic. It’s a good formula, but one that’s no longer vibrant. I still think “Scrubs’’ should have stood behind last season’s series finale and gone off the air. But given that the show is back for a ninth go-round, things could be a whole lot worse.

9 p.m. Tuesday. ABC. Follow Herc on Twitter!!

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