'Scrubs' to Air Last Season

Scrubs - John C. McGinley as Dr. Perry Cox, left, and Zach Braff as John "J.D." Dorian star in "My Worst Enemy" on NBC's comedy "Scrubs." This makes the 701 episode.

The security guard outside the North Hollywood Medical Center deals with numerous injured or sick people who have shown up for medical attention.

All have been turned away.

This is not some nightmare version of an HMO. It's pretend. The only doctors and nurses that roam these Southern California hospital floors are actors. Most television shows are produced on sound stages. But this abandoned hospital houses the NBC comedy series "Scrubs" since the comedy launched Oct. 2, 2001.

Everything from the writer's room to the editing bays are located throughout the structure.

And now, the show's wacky cast of caregivers will make their comedy rounds for the last time. NBC announced this, the show's seventh season, will be the last.

For Judy Reyes, who plays nurse Carla Espinosa, work on the final episodes has been a little tough.

"It is senior year in high school," Reyes said during a break from filming. She sits at the nurse's station on the building's third floor, the show's intensive care unit.

Rows of rooms are across from where she sits. Most have beds. Some are loaded with lights and equipment.

"Everyone is really excited to use this as a jump-off point to the next level for all of our careers. But we are all really sad to see it end. We are kind of looking back and doing that thing where you look at pictures to see how you looked when it all started," Reyes said.

"Scrubs" certainly made television stars out of most of the cast. Reyes acted in a few roles, including a nurse in the Martin Scorsese film "Bringing Out the Dead" and the cable series "Oz." For her co-star Zach Braff, "Scrubs" was his big break.

The fact Reyes talks about the seventh season of the show as an accomplishment. "Scrubs" has been treated with about as much respect by NBC as a man in an emergency room with a bloody nose and no insurance.

"Scrubs'" air time plopped in at various times during its seasons, sometimes even midyear, and then it bounced from time period to time period. This final year is not starting until almost two months after other NBC shows. One reason is that there will only be 18 new episodes in the final year.

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