Curiously, this strategy appears to have brought in new viewers. After being held out of the NBC fall lineup (in spite of its four Emmy nominations last year), "Scrubs" returned in January, and in its first weeks had some of its highest ratings, averaging nearly 8 million viewers on Tuesday nights. And now against the daunting challenge of "American Idol," it has managed to maintain numbers comparable to last season. Not exactly blockbuster numbers, but considering NBC's last-place status ("Deal or No Deal" is its only show in the Nielsen Top 10), more than enough to be considered a success. More importantly, "Scrubs" scores extremely well with viewers 18 to 49, whom advertisers most desire.  The show's producers were also among the first to embrace and cater to an ever-growing online fan base, keeping in touch with Internet chat rooms, providing extensive behind-the-scenes video blogs and Web-only audio commentaries, and offering episodes on iTunes.  " 'Scrubs' is a show that was somewhat ahead of its time," said Kevin Reilly, president of NBC Entertainment, pointing out that when the show made its debut in October 2001, NBC (then programmed by Jeff Zucker) was still on top with its "Must-See" generation of sitcoms like "Friends" and "Frasier." As much as the network executives liked it, "Scrubs" had a hard time fitting in.  "There were very few other single-camera comedies when it started," Mr. Reilly said. "And the show has always played by its own rhythm. It's both hugely broad and strangely intellectual at times. It can be sublime, but it doesn't neatly fit into a comfortable little box. It didn't explode in the ratings right away and in NBC's attempt to find the right spot, it ended up getting moved around a lot over the years."  To complicate matters, "Scrubs" is one of the increasingly rare shows not owned by the network that broadcasts it. ABC/Touchstone, where Mr. Lawrence had a long-standing development deal, developed, produces and owns "Scrubs," meaning that NBC's only revenues come from advertising sales. All the auxiliary income, such as DVD sales or syndication fees, goes to ABC. "Scrubs" needed to be a big ratings success compared with other, NBC-owned shows, for the network to have financial incentive to keep it on the air.  "As much as I complained about the way they treated us the first few years, I kind of sympathize with their situation," Mr. Lawrence said. "If they had a choice between protecting 'Scrubs' or taking a chance on a new show that they owned 100 percent and whose success might save their jobs, that's a no-brainer. I understand that."  But once NBC went to the bottom of the ratings heap, it needed to hold on to as many well-reviewed shows as it could, even if they weren't broad-based hits. Trying to regain a foothold, NBC has turned to off-kilter, single-camera comedies like "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office," shows that are getting attention for the kind of stylistic risks that "Scrubs" has been taking since 2001. After all those years of being the lovable but slightly peculiar stepchild of NBC's comedy lineup, "Scrubs" doesn't seem so out of place anymore.  "Television is such an odd, trend-following business," said Mr. Lawrence, who was a creator of "Spin City," a more traditional live-audience sitcom. "When we were trying to sell this show, no one wanted a single-camera comedy. They didn't think they were funny. Now single-camera comedies are what everyone is talking about. And I would bet that the next comedy to really make it big will be one that bucks that trend and is a really well-written multi-camera sitcom."  Mr. Lawrence says that waiting until January to begin this year's episodes, away from the clutter of all the other fall premieres, helped his show succeed. Coming into this season, almost certain it would be his last, Mr. Lawrence had started writing series-finale storylines including Dr. Perry Cox (played by John C. McGinley) descending into alcoholism and the contentious-but-loving married couple, Dr. Chris Turk (Donald Faison) and Nurse Carla Espinosa (Judy Reyes), finally having a child. Those story arcs have remained in place but others have been adjusted or eliminated based on the increasing likelihood that "Scrubs" will return for a sixth season.  Even though license fees will increase dramatically, Mr. Reilly has said he very much wants "Scrubs" to return to NBC next year. And if he changes his mind, Steve McPherson, who was instrumental in developing the show when he was at Touchstone and who is now president of ABC Entertainment, seems more than ready to grab the show for his network.  "I love the show and we could totally find a place for it on ABC," Mr. McPherson said in a telephone interview. "But I can't imagine NBC letting it go."  Mr. Lawrence believes that, intentionally or not, "Scrubs" may have found the blueprint for future television success. Gigantic hits marketed to broad audiences, he said, are increasingly rare. Ratings behemoths like "American Idol" are the exception, not the rule.  "If you don't start out as the most prominent show on the network, with huge ratings right off the bat," he said, "you have to readjust yourself almost immediately to say, 'Who is our core audience and what are they responding to?' "  "It's like politicians deciding to play to their core constituencies," he said.  "A competently made, middle of the road show, which used to be the network model, isn't going to generate that level of passion," he said. "So you have to do what we've done, what I think 'My Name Is Earl' and 'The Office' have done, which is to write a show so quirky and so specific that you're acknowledging right out of the gate that it's not going to have universal appeal. But for the people it does appeal to, it's going to have an iron-clad grip."
Article describes television show Scrubs, which has received excellent reviews but only mediocre ratings; current season is thick with inside jokes, psychotic monologues and bizarre secondary characters; change has increased ratings and brought in new viewers; photos (L)