“We All Still Hang Out”: Bill Lawrence Talks Scrubs Revival, Writing in an Abandoned Hospital, and New HBO Show at ATX

ATX TV Festival’s closing night featured a heartfelt, hilarious panel with Bill Lawrence and friends—including Zach Braff, Brett Goldstein, Phil Dunster, Josh Hopkins, and surprise guest Charly Clive from Bill’s upcoming HBO project. While the wide-ranging conversation covered everything from Shrinking to Ted Lasso, the big news for longtime fans was clear: Scrubs is officially returning—and Lawrence says it’ll be one of just three sitcoms currently on ABC.

Lawrence confirmed that ABC is bringing back Scrubs, and the whole cast is on board. “We’re all still friends," Zach Braff emphasized. “People think it’s a lie—but we really hang out." Braff noted that Donald Faison is currently crashing at his NYC apartment, and Sarah Chalke missed the panel only because she was attending Lawrence’s wife’s birthday party.

That chemistry was forged, in part, during nine wild seasons of filming in a real, abandoned LA hospital. “We lived in a creepy, deserted hospital," Lawrence recalled. “The actors had patient rooms, the writers worked out of the mental ward, and there was a sheet of paper that said, basically, ‘You probably shouldn’t be in this building if you’re a human being.’" Despite the asbestos and rats, the experience remains a career highlight.

The revival will arrive in a network landscape very different from when Scrubs first aired. “It’ll be one of three sitcoms on ABC," Lawrence pointed out, acknowledging the challenges traditional comedies face in today’s streaming-dominated environment.

In one of the panel’s most emotional moments, Lawrence revealed the real-life inspiration behind Dr. Cox: his high school mentor, Bob Cox. “He convinced me I could be a writer," Lawrence revealed, “Aad I named Dr. Cox after him."

Lawrence also spoke about his ending of Scrubs’ original run (the Season 8 finale), clarifying once again that the show’s true finale is the one where JD walks down the hospital hallway. “That whole ending was really about what it means to be a TV writer—if you can make people feel even a little better, it’s worth it."

Charly Clive unintentionally found herself in Austin when she asked Bill Lawrence what he was doing over the weekend when the week’s work wrapped on. He told her he was going to Austin and invited her to tag along, a decision she may have regretted once she found herself the lone unfamiliar face on the panel. The young British actress plays Steve Carell’s daughter in his new untitled HBO comedy. Clive thought she was just coming to dinner until she ended up onstage at ATX. “She’s killing it on the show," Lawrence said proudly, revealing another surprise: Scrubs star John C. McGinley also has a role on the show.

During a behind-the-scenes story from set, Lawrence shared how Clive struggled to keep a straight face during a serious scene while Carell accidentally stuffed his mouth with dill pickle corn nuts. “We had to do three minutes of crunching B-roll. The crew lost it."

Lawrence also celebrated the addition of Michael J. Fox to Shrinking Season 3, calling him a personal hero. “He was one of the first actors to make me feel like I belonged," Lawrence said, recalling a moment from Spin City where Fox helped him shake off early-career anxiety with a self-deprecating joke after one of Lawrence’s lines flopped in front of a live audience. “He gave me so much confidence."

Zach Braff, who serves as a director on Shrinking and the upcoming Steve Carell show, shared his own excitement about working with Michael J. Fox again, who appeared on Scrubs. “He was kind and funny and had no ego." He and Bill Lawrence laughed about the hospital’s rooftop toilet, remembering Fox’s reaction when he was first introduced to the location where many an epiphany was had.

Lawrence and Brett Goldstein revisited the unlikely origin of Ted Lasso, which began after Goldstein auditioned for an earlier pilot that never aired, described as “Scrubs in a rocket factory." Years later, Goldstein was hired to write on Ted Lasso, unaware he’d eventually play Roy Kent. “He filmed a self-tape and just absolutely killed it," Lawrence recalled. For Goldstein, joining the show was a life-changing experience. “You completely changed my life, and I owe you everything," he told Lawrence, something he said he would never say to Bill’s face, only in front of a packed crowd of fans. While Season 3 was once considered the end, Goldstein confirmed the writers are working on a fourth season, though plot details remain tightly under wraps. “Apple has a sniper on the roof," he joked.

Josh Hopkins reflected on his years working with Lawrence on Cougar Town, noting how much of his character’s guitar-playing persona stemmed from real life. “I was just sitting outside my trailer one day playing guitar when Bill pulled up and said, ‘You’re doing that in the next episode,’" he said. Hopkins even contributed original songs to the show and confirmed that Lawrence encouraged actors to bring their off-screen personalities to the material. “Funny makes the episode," Lawrence reiterated. “If it works, we’ll find a way to use it."

Across Scrubs, Cougar Town, Ted Lasso, Shrinking, and his upcoming series for HBO, Lawrence’s shows explore men growing emotionally and learning to express vulnerability. “I’m trying to get better at that myself," he admitted. “I grew up in Connecticut—my name is William Van Duzer Lawrence IV—it’s not exactly the name of a guy who hugs a lot." Still, he embraces the optimism in his storytelling: “The world’s a [mess]. If something you write can make people feel even a little more hopeful, that’s a win." That’s not to say comedy isn’t still king. Lawrence insists laughter is just as powerful. And his guiding rule? If actors laugh on set and it feels natural, he’ll keep it in. “That’s what makes it real."

Stay tuned for more news about ABC’s Scrubs revival. Click here for more stories from ATX TV Festival.