KEY POINTS:
Judy Reyes is giggling uncontrollably, trying to recall a story about her Scrubs co-star Sarah Chalke. It involves something called "the poo song".
Regular watchers of the series will know exactly what she's talking about. The song, officially titled Everything Comes Down to Poo, was one of the
many highlights from last year's special My Musical, which aired here in August.
When Reyes, who plays nurse Carla Espinosa, finally stops laughing long enough to finish her sentence, she explains that Chalke (Dr Elliot Reid) had brought a video to work the other day of her niece and nephew singing the poo song.
"That's the kind of cast we are. We recite each other's lines to each other when we pass in the hallway."
My Musical, which was nominated for five Emmy Awards, is just one example of how Scrubs has pushed traditional sitcom boundaries over its seven-year history.
"Scrubs has changed the comedy landscape of television," says Reyes. "There's very few multi-camera comedy shows left. Most shows are approaching single camera set-up and there's a lot more freedom. There's no need to shy away from dramatic elements and dramatic moments."
Of course songs about poo are not terribly dramatic, but such is the charm of Scrubs _ its seamless ability to switch from the ridiculously silly and nonsensical, to serious themes, in just moments.
Theatre-trained, Reyes was a dramatic actress before Scrubs. Her resume includes stints on serious programmes such as The Sopranos, Law & Order and NYPD Blue.
The actress admits she had no intention of becoming a comedic actress and had "an opinion about sitcoms" before she signed on to the show.
"When I got the script for Scrubs it was written like a screenplay. Like a little short [film]. I didn't feel the pressure to approach it comedically. I approached it very directly and I think that's what got me the job. Something clicked for me in terms of comedy."
Seven years on, Reyes says she is much more open to comedy and would definitely consider another comedy series when Scrubs finally comes to an end.
Just when that time will be is anyone's guess. Last year NBC announced the seventh season, which was then in production, would be the last. But recent reports confirm the series will see an eighth season and move to rival network ABC.
Depending on how the show fares on the new channel, and how much promotion and support the new network is willing to give it, the switch could see Scrubs continue well into the future.
"In this business, we're well aware that it's a one season at a time deal," says Reyes of the future of the show. "I think I see it as just one more season."
While the writers' strike has been causing headaches for programmers everywhere, it was thanks to the strike that fans will get an extra season of Scrubs.
"We were winding down and committed to doing our final season. We were ready to end it," says Reyes.
"It was like senior year in high school. You don't want to not see your best friends but you are so ready to go to college. But then we got cut short by this weird but necessary strike that went on longer than it needed to."
Though Reyes believes the strike was "botched and exploited and taken advantage of" by both the studio and the writers' guild, supporting the writers was important to the actress, who joined the picket line along with her fellow cast-members.
"It's naive to think that without the writers you would exist at the end of the day. You have to support the people who put the words in your mouth."
By the time the strike was settled, ABC had agreed to pick the series up for another season and cast and crew got back into the swing of things.
Reyes isn't quite sure what is happening with the negotiations or where things stand, as she and the cast try to steer clear of the business side of things.
"They try to keep us out of that process as much as possible until it's done. Only because it's inevitable that it's going to affect the vibe on set.
"It's only when it starts to affect us directly that we're going to be involved."
Until then, it's business as usual on set. Which generally entails the cast mocking each other ruthlessly and trying to spoil each other's scenes.
"If Donald and Zach are giving each other the same old crap they've been giving each other and cracking us up into ruining takes, that's the reason to do it each day."
LOWDOWN
Who: Judy Reyes, who plays nurse Carla Espinosa on Scrubs
Born: November 5, 1967 in the Bronx, New York
What: Scrubs screens Wednesdays, 8pm on TV2
