Writers Strike Breathes New Life Into Scrubs

The Writers Guild strike not only didn't deliver the death blow to Scrubs—it may have resurrected the veteran sitcom, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Production restarted today on the show, which NBC had already decided not to renew beyond a handful of episodes left over from before the job action. In stepped ABC, which owns the studio that produces the show, and a deal is near for an eighth season.

ABC has an agreement with producer ABC Studios for an 18-episode season, but it still must tie up some loose ends with NBC. Scrubs and ER benefited from the strike even as Las Vegas and Girlfriends were going down the tubes, Variety reports. And "bubble" shows such as Friday Night Lights and Pushing Daisies are benefiting from the second look the halt in the production pipeline made possible. (More Scrubs stories.)