Zach Braff Talks Scrubs and Fletch
Even though this could be the last season of “Scrubs,” Zach Braff and the cast are completely committed to making this the best year of the smash NBC comedy yet.
“We just finished the first episode and there’s lots of prosthetic make-up in the first episode. Last year, we sort of got really silly and random, and we call it the stoner humor. We did a little more of that, and the fans loved it. We had our best ratings ever. The feeling is this will probably be the last year, so we’re all just sort of going for it. The writing is just so surreal and bizarre and wacky, and we’re going to give the fans what they want this year,” Braff said while promoting his new film, The Last Kiss.
In addition to the quirky humor of the show, there will be a musical episode that Braff is really excited about.
“Everyone sings. I think there’s a patient with dementia and anytime that anyone’s in the ICU, we see the ICU through this patient’s eyes, and everyone’s singing as though they’re in a musicalÖ They’re getting guys who write musicals to come in and write the music, and then the writers will write the lyrics. Part of it will be spoofing the musical, in and of itself, so I’m sure there will be a whole lot of down on one knee, out of breath, with your arms in the air.”
As far as guest appearances go, Braff is really hoping to get a former “Arrested Development” character on.
“The one person I want right now is David Cross. I wanted David Cross to come on as Tobias Funke. I’m trying to broker that deal, with Mitch’s (Mitchell Hurwitz) approval. I want David to come on as TobiasÖ I love that character, and the fact that character is over for good, I want him to at least have one more little life.”
Besides working on “Scrubs”, Braff has been rumored to play Fletch in Fletch Won, which predates the first seven books in the series, and follows the early days of the title character’s journalism career as a junior reporter in his 20’s working at the News-Tribune.
“I don’t know. Bill Lawrence is definitely writing and directing ‘Fletch,’ and there’s a good chance I’ll do it. I’ve just got to talk to Uncle HarveyÖI was the one who told Harvey he should hire Bill. Bill’s a huge Fletch fan. The books aren’t as wacky and silly as the Chevy Chase movies were, so there was talk for awhile of going back to the books and not having that level of comedy in them, and Bill and I both disagreed.
“That’s what made the movie so great. It’s one of the most quoted movies ever, especially by guys. Why would you not tap back into what’s funny about that? Definitely go back to the books ’cause the books are brilliant, but we want to still make it a comedy. Bill uses the great analogy of ‘Beverly Hills Cop.’ He’s like, ‘If you look at ‘Beverly Hills Cop,’ some people think it’s one of the funniest comedies ever, but it’s an action movie with great adventure and real stakes,’ and he wants to do that with ‘Fletch.’ The books have real stakes and real action in them, but they also have some of the funniest, witty dialogue ever written.”
Right now, Braff isn’t writing any of his own material, but he is thinking about directing again very soon.
“I did an adaptation, that I’m working on, of a movie called ‘Open Hearts,’ that I’m probably going to direct next year. It’s a Danish movie. And, that’s what I’m doing now.”
Paramount will release The Last Kiss on Friday, September 15.
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