The next tv duo in our retro review series is the team of Scrubs and Smallville as the ’01 Wonders.
Both of these shows are trend setters in their genres. The fact that these groundbreaking tv shows began in the same year, 2001, makes the ‘01 Wonders an interesting pairing.
If you were making a list of workplaces to set a comedy series in, a hospital would be at the bottom of the list. Scrubs was able to find humor in the hospital setting, while also demonstrating the unique ability to smash your heart into pieces by giving the characters and their decisions real stakes. Without the success of Scrubs, workplace comedies like The Office, Parks & Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Superstore might not exist.
The success of Smallville ushered in the current wave of superhero television shows that were nothing more than a pipe dream back in the late 90s.
01′ Wonders Team Mentors
Both shows teach lessons to the lead protagonists through father figures.
In Scrubs, Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley) helps Dr. John “J.D” Dorian (Zach Braff) grow as a doctor and person. Later in show’s run, J.D. is able to help Dr. Cox through some difficult emotional situations. Paragraph
With Smallville, Clark Kent (Tom Welling) doesn’t become Superman without the influence and lessons from his adoptive father Jonathan Kent (John Schneider) as well as Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum).
There’s Nothing Wrong With A Good Fight. Just Remember, The Man Of Tomorrow Is Forged By His Battles Today.
Lex Luthor
Saving Life is an Occupational Hazard
Both shows involve life saving occupations, while also allowing the characters to stumble on occasion.
Since Smallville is a Superman origin story, most of the episodes focus on Clark using his abilities to save others. Clark’s focus on saving lives even applies to his worst enemies like Lex Luthor and Zod (Callum Blue).
Scrubs focuses on the life saving efforts by the interns, residents and nurses at the fictional Sacred Heart teaching hospital. Occasionally, the doctors even save each other from seemingly inescapable dark holes.
I guess I came over here to tell you how proud of you I am. Not because you did the best you could for those patients… but because after 20 years of being a doctor, when things go badly, you still take it this hard. And I gotta tell you man, I mean, that’s the kind of doctor I want to be.
Dr. John “JD” Dorian
How does a fictional tv block featuring Scrubs and Smallville sound to you?
