There is always a fear when a popular TV show, movie or even just a character is brought back from “retirement” to make another run at it. Will it live up to its past glory? Will the character(s) be a caricature of themselves? Quite bluntly, will it tarnish the memory of how much I remember liking said show/movie/character? Maybe it is just me (but I’m pretty sure it’s not), but I think people feel a little threatened when something they hold positive memories about is threatened with . . . well, change. Here I have something I liked that brings back fond memories. Maybe it is the jokes that happened in the show. Maybe it is the memory of watching the show as a child with your parents. Or your children. And now there is a new version coming out that might fail to live up to those memories. Or even worse, make you think that maybe those memories weren’t as good as what you remembered them as. As silly as it sounds, I went through all these emotions when I heard one of my favorite shows of all time, Scrubs, was coming back.

Scrubs, in its heyday (circa 2001-2010), was everything I ever wanted a sitcom to be. With an over-abundance of nonsensical, goofy humor, a narrator, a focus on personal relationships (including the world’s greatest Bro-mance), and writing that not only made you laugh, but also somewhat restored your faith in people again, it was Ted Lasso before Ted Lasso was a glint in Jason Sudeikis’ eye. Not to mention it was quite the antithesis to the other medical shows of that era who all seemed to be competing to come up with the most tragic storylines known to mankind. Good things were actually allowed to happen on Scrubs.

So it was with eager anticipation, as well as a healthy dose of trepidation, that I turned on the first episode of the reboot about a month ago. And within minutes, my fears were pushed aside. J.D., Turk, Elliot and Carla picked up right where they left off (minus 15 years of career development). And when the familiar theme song and intro hit, I felt like I was hanging out again with a long-lost friend and we hadn’t skipped a beat. Despite the 16-year break, J.D. was still the same daydreaming optimist that always seems to see/find the best in people/situations. And while I realize it is only make-believe, it made me feel good to see that in the 16 years he had been working, J.D. hadn’t lost who he was. He had held on to those good parts of himself that he had as a younger person. And, as goofy as it sounds, since I see a bit of myself in J.D., it gave me hope that maybe I’ve held on to some of the better parts of me I liked about myself when I was younger.

There you have it, my first official TV show recommendation. If you were holding off on watching the Scrubs reboot because you were nervous like I was, have no fear. And if you have never watched it to begin with, there’s no time like the present. And while you are watching a show that will make you feel good, you should be drinking a wine that also makes you happy (and not because you had 4 glasses in a short time). For me, a wine that always makes me smile is a Chateauneuf du Pape GSM blend. And so this week’s wine is 2021 Tardieu Châteauneuf-du-Pape Galets d’Or. It pours a deep ruby color and has aromas of blackberry and raspberry, with a hint of vanilla and caramel. Like most GSM blends, it is fruit-forward on your palette, with ripe red fruit flavors mixed in with dark fruit, all complimented with those hints of vanilla and caramel. It is a perfect wine to celebrate both who you were and who you are. Cheers!