Jay, Scrubs and ABC

[Steve]

If you happened to catch Jay on the SoapNet Emmy red carpet special, you know that actor/interviewer Ricky Paull Goldin asked him about Scrubs. Jay was hopeful the show would ask him back. Many of us have written NBC, Days and Scrubs, urging TPTB to take full advantage of Jay's dual roles on the NBC Network (Philip Kiriakis, Dr. Matthews) and expand both story lines. Thankfully, Days is finally giving Jay front burner treatment. There's also renewed hope re Scrubs - once thought to be on the verge of cancellation, it will return for a 7th season on a new network: ABC. Jay has never appeared on ABC - in addition to writing TPTB behind Scrubs, why not contact various ABC network execs, 'introduce' Jay (as a frequent guest actor on Scrubs) to them, and make them aware of his name, face, talent and presence?

I'll be writing various people at Scrubs and ABC re Jay. If anyone wants to join in and write (one letter, a few, several), thanks - it would certainly help. (A contact list is below.) There's no reason Jay can't do both Days and Scrubs. If someone at ABC actually realizes the unique marketing value of promoting an actor presently on both daytime and prime time, think of what a boon it would be for Days, Scrubs - and most importantly - JAY.

Thanks!

- - - - -

CONTACT INFO

Mr. Bill Lawrence, Creator/Exec. Producer
Scrubs
c/o ABC Television Studio
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521

Mr. Bill Callahan, Exec. Producer
Scrubs
c/o ABC Television Studio
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521

Mr. Garrett Donovan, Exec. Producer
Scrubs
c/o ABC Television Studio
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521

Mr. Neil Goldman, Exec. Producer
Scrubs
c/o ABC Television Studio
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521

Mr. Eric Weinberg, Exec. Producer
Scrubs
c/o ABC Television Studio
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521

Ms. Keli Lee, Executive VP, Casting
Disney-ABC Television Group
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521-4588

Ms. Samie Kim Falvey, Senior VP, Comedy Development
ABC Entertainment
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521-4588

Ms. Suzanne Patmore-Gibbs, EVP, Drama Development
ABC Entertainment
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521-4588

Mr. Kim Rozenfeld, Sr. VP, Current Drama Programming
ABC Television Network
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4588

Ms. Anne Sweeney, Pres.
Disney-ABC Television Group
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521-4588

Mr. Jim Hedges, CFO, EVP
ABC Television Network and ABC Television Studio
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521-4588

Mr. Mark Pedowitz, Pres.
ABC Studios
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521-4589

Mr. Jeffrey D. Bader, Executive VP
ABC Entertainment
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521-4588

Mr. Stephen McPherson, President
ABC Entertainment
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521-4588

[janice2002]

Thank You Steve.

I printed out all the contact information and will certainly write several of those people----Bill Lawrence for sure.
I'd just LOVE it if Jay could do BOTH daytime and primetime and it would be great to have Dr Matthews back on Scrubs!

Thank you for doing all this work---I know it must have taken HOURS to research all this information. I very much appreciate it .
I hope lots of fans will join in to support this effort and write all/ some of the people on the list.

[pags60]

Thanks for doing all the research and getting all the contact info... it would be awesome to see Jay return as Dr. Matthews on Scrubs as well as play Philip on Days... seeing Jay on both daytime and prime time would be fantastic... Jay is so talented that it's great to see that TPTB on Days are FINALLY giving him the front and center story that is worthy of those talents... I will be contacting those on the list to assure that we see Jay on Scrubs again.... THANKS for all your work!!!

[Steve]

Thanks, Janice and Pags. I mailed off 5 letters today, and will get more ready to mail tomorrow. I miss seeing Jay in prime time. Hopefully, there will be renewed interest in Scrubs, with it now being on ABC - and, along with that renewed life, expanded interest in Dr. Matthews.

[jayssweetgirl]

Thanks for all the info Steve!! I'll get right on it!!!

[Mindy]

Steve, this is really awesome. Thanks so much for always staying on top of things and providing such valuable info and tools to help assist with our support of Jay. I'll send my letters out this weekend! Thanks again!

[nom71]

:)I hope the Scrubs people won't hold it against Jay for not being able to be in the last episode they called him for. (I think he was too tied up in Days.) He told them he had other committment. Naomi

[Steve]

Jun 26, 2008 11:19:40 GMT -5 nom71 said:

:)I hope the Scrubs people won't hold it against Jay for not being able to be in the last episode they called him for. (I think he was too tied up in Days.) He told them he had other committment. Naomi

I honestly don't think they would hold that against Jay. He did other Scrubs after his return to Days. Scheduling conflicts happen - it's part of the industry, and I'm sure they take things like that in stride. Furthermore, I think Jay's situation is different now, than it was last summer. Jay was able to go out and pursue other projects one year into his contract (that's what I've read, somewhere, and how I understand it) - those Scrubs episodes he did tape while on Days (plus, the one he couldn't do) fell before that clause came into effect. He has a contractual 'out' now (again, that's how I understand it, based on the limited quotes I've read, from Jay, in print) - he can actively pursue other projects at this time.

The more people who write Scrubs and ABC, the more Jay's support base is visible, the more they'll realize what they have in Jay.

[naley12]

hi your hottie

[Steve]

MAJOR UPDATE - Janice2002 posted on the Sony board about an article she read on Scrubs. I did an engine search and found it online:

www.forbes.com/home/2008/07/17/scrubs-abc-nbc-biz-media-cx_lr_0717bizscrubs.html

Scrubs plans to stay on beyond this coming season, with the hopes of making it a comic ER - i.e., revolving characters, replacing departing ones with new ones. THIS is IDEAL for Jay and Dr. Matthews - the character with so much potential that begs to be developed.

I've already written most of the people above (all at Scrubs and ABC) - I intend to do so again, mentioning this article. If you love Jay as Dr. Matthews, want to see him back on a regular basis, please feel free to pitch in and write. If you've already written, but find this news encouraging and want to contact everyone again, it could only help.

Thanks!

[janice2002]

Thanks for the link Steve.
I'm just going to paste the post I made at the JKJ thread at Soapcity here--there was an article about Scrubs in the newspaper.

Also--Entertainment Tonight reported that Courtney Cox has already (or soon will--I forget which) filmed several episodes of Scrubs.


There was an article in the newspaper yesterday about Scrubs.
Apparently ABC is giving the show some HEAVY network support! There's even going to be some "webisodes" to promote it. ABC brass even visited the set which I guess NBC never did.

Anyway, Scrubs may continue on after next season. Bill Laurence(creator) and ABC Entertainment President, Steve McPherson indicated there may be a way to keep the comedy going with NEW CAST MEMBERS--like NBC'c revolving door medical drama ER.
Lots more to the article but as I read it I thought how great if Jay was one of the new cast--even recurring--as Dr Matthews. He's already done 6(?) episodes in the past and double duty isn't impossible. I know it's 2 different networks but can't Jay accept outside work in this last year of his contract?? I thought he could--even if it wasn't NBC.
It just seems to me like a great opportunity to have Jay return as Dr Matthews(larger role of course) if Scrubs is getting a second life on ABC!!

[janice2002]

Just wanted to add that Scrubs will be upgraded to HD and ABC has commissioned six two-to four- minute webisodes to give the show extra promotional heft.

There were some positive quotes--" We do think that it will not hopefully be a one-season situation" Mc Pherson said. "We do think there's an opportunity after that--talking to Zach, talking to Bill--and whether all of the cast is part of that, I still think there's a great amount of growth there".

Bill Laurence said "It was a pleasant surprise to have people from the network visit the set, because nobody has done that in six or seven years".

Bill Laurence is Scrubs creator
Steve Mc Pherson is ABC Entertainment President

If Scrubs gets a new extended life on ABC, then I don't see why the role of Jay's Dr. Matthews can't be reprised and expanded

[Steve]

Thanks for posting those additional quotes, Janice. The article you read was far more comprehensive than the Net piece I came across. It sounds very encouraging - I hope the show and ABC both realize what they have in Jay, and expand the character of Dr. Matthews and 'flesh him out.' I'll be sending another set of letters to all in the above list.