ABSTRACT
Soundtracks of non-musical films or shows feature a non-diegetic track almost exclusively, meaning the music is only audible to the audience and firmly outside the narrative world—and typically consist of original compositions, either in the forms of a traditional score or as incidental music. What set Scrubs apart from other musically-reliant series, however, was its use of music in a variety of roles including comedic, dramatic, and/or narrative purposes—as outlined by Antonio Savorelli and R. Stilwel. Before delving deeper into the narratively complex and musical aspects of Scrubs, an overview of the overall television landscape present when the series first emerged is necessary. Scrubs was included in NBC's "Must See television" branding—an iconic advertising campaign used by the network for more than ten years. The slogan was widely associated with a two-hour block of comedic primetime programming that aired on Thursdays and dominated television ratings throughout the 1990s.
