But that’s where Scrubs (Paging Dr. Dorian! Paging Dr. Reid and Turk! Paging Dr. Cox and Kelso!) rightfully, um, “scrubs in” to save the day, so to speak, like a splendid shot of Zoloft to the funny bone. While M*A*S*H became painfully morbid after the end of its third season (with its initial cast of merry medical malcontents soon departing), Scrubs has stuck together through thick and thin - living on to deliver much-need emergency room laughs week after week, while keeping the “dramedy” to a pitch-perfect “out patient” basis (while it playfully pokes fun at such "competition" like Grey's Anatomy and House - as if, people!).

Hawkeye had a faithful sidekick, Trapper John, his steady stream of martinis, and a revolving door of nurses to combat the madness of war. Scrubs’ main protagonist, J.D., uses appletinis and his “bromance” with best friend and surgical resident, Christopher Turk (Donald Faison), to opine about his failed love life - whether it be with Turk splitting time with his other wife, head nurse Carla Espinosa (Judy Reyes), the on-again, off-again relationship with Dr. Elliot Reid or his delirious “daddy issues” with his mentor and sarcastic fallen idol, Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley).

While many may shun the spastic Airplane!-simulated humor of Scrubs, with creator Bill Lawrence (Spin City) at the helm, the talented stable of writers has the “situations” of this comedy completely anchored in reality (well, except for a few, um, far out daydreams by J.D. - you know, every once in awhile). Sure, these characters are flawed to the core - but that’s what makes them ultimately believable and, in essence, relatable to every generation, young and old alike. There is more “reality” to these characters than any housewife on some semi-staged Bravo show, in Orange County or otherwise.  Got that, Shirley?

And even though the star of Scrubs, Zach Braff, seems to get all the accolades, it’s the diverse ensemble cast that keeps you cracking up on every possible ethnic, sexual, and demographic level. Donald Faison (“Turk”) embraces his African-American heritage while simultaneously bashing any and all stereotypes along the way - he’s a successful surgeon who never shies away from his love for The Jeffersons and basketball (but yet finds time to embrace such “white folk follies” as the front man for a Journey air band, gabbing about Gilmore Girls with his best friend in the world, J.D., and dancing to his 'N Sync cell phone greeting in the meantime). Don’t stop — believing!