Scrubs: Interns writer Eren Celeboglu answered a couple of questions about the webisode series as well as Season Eight on April 26, 2009.
How did the Scrubs: Interns webisode series come to fruition? Who had the original idea?[]
Well, as a show - and both my bosses - Creator/EP/overlord Bill Lawrence and his producing partner, Randall Winston, knew we had to do them - and wanted to do them, as they are just a new reality in TV - particularly web TV. We resolved to do them in-house. Like any really long running, close knit production it's a family and there is a short hand that cannot be replicated by outside folks. We met with Kevin Plunkett and ABC.com - and frankly, they were amazing - Bill told him his overarching idea which was that Sonal Shah's intern character was a double major in film and medicine in school and so she was going to keep a video diary. My only real contribution to that idea as a director was that I said to Bill - I don't want to do talking heads - let's move the camera - and make it more dynamic - and so we have Sonny referencing multiple angles that she sets up and we weave it into the fabric of the webisodes - into the jokes, etc. We were supposed to shoot 6 but Bill really conceived them all such fully realized mini-webisodes that did a lot (along with a great staff of writers who were tasked with the webisodes - Devin Mahoney, Ryan Kemp, and Melody Derloshon) but we ultimately had to break them into 12 - and they've turned out great!
How tightly prepared are the webisodes, or are they mostly improvisation?[]
Very tightly prepared - in that we have no time to shoot them so that we have to at least block in sets and be ready to do about 6 pages a day - a real TV schedule. And of course, I'm getting the last three pages in the morning, and then the rest as the day goes on, but it's liberating because you can be like - f*** it - this is how it is, so play to it. You can improvise along the way within a scene, but it's all pretty much outlined and laid out so that we can produce them efficiently alongside our big brother show - the real Scrubs - who we of course drove crazy with our needs - haha. It gave me some small satisfaction, but I think in the end, we were always respectful of the show that gave birth to the webisodes, but Bill used to always make cracks about the big and little kids table.
How did you get the position of directing all of the webisodes?[]
I have worked for Bill for about 5 years - and I've treated every minute like film school and really learned about TV (and film writing), outlining, every aspect of a production with well over 200 wonderfully talented crew members, and ultimately directing. I got to write an episode directed by Adam Bernstein, who did the pilot, which was a trip.n It's the Season Five episode My Own Personal Hell. After that, and constantly pestering Bill abut letting me direct something, he gave me this opportunity. It was more than just directing, he really let me manage the writing staff which was awesome. It was like a mini-showrunning gig. [I also had to] edit and lock all the pictures and deliver the final product - along with the unsung hero of this production, Jesse Schiller, Randall Winston's assistant. He is an amazing producer and I look forward to making steam come out of his ears for years to come.
About how long from concept to final version do the webisodes take to make?[]
If it was straight through I'd say it could be two weeks of writing, tabling script, planning, and then shooting. But in all honesty we had a LONG time to plan and prepare while Bill got the scripts right. While the scripts were changing during shooting, it wasn't like they were changing better, they were really just getting better (like they always do when Bill gets in there). We shot all 6 during the last couple weeks of Scrubs and sort of rode the momentum of finishing the season. It was very run and gun, man - but again - it is so much fun to work that way.
So far, all of the main cast except for Ken Jenkins and Judy Reyes have appeared in webisodes. Are they required to in their contracts for the eighth season, or are they just really good sports?[]
Ha - they are not required to do anything. They are all wonderful, and Ken and Judy are coming! Their webisodes are of course great because of them. No one probably cares, but we are the ONLY web series, where the entire principal cast all did this. I started out with John C. McGinley, and you know they come in ready to see what you've got, which is why I shot him out in one take - haha - but it is a dream come true to get to make webisodes with any one of these guys and I feel very lucky to have gotten to watch them work. Maybe I directed them a little bit.
When do you record the webisodes? In between takes or do you have time allotted for their production?[]
It really is an entirely different schedule, running alongside and reacting flexibly to the big show's schedule, and because it was the interns for the majority of shooting. They just came in on off days - they were also wonderful - as no one has to do anything, but they realize that for a show like Scrubs, it's this kind of content that really rewards the fans who want more. Even though some people want to murder the webisodes crew after the first one Ha ha - it's true. They wrote it on the message board.
What is your favorite episode?[]
My favorites are three - My First Day, My Nightingale, My Old Lady, wait - the Brendan Fraser one - My Screw Up - and sorry - from this season - My Last Words with Mr. Glynn Turman, who is of course, above reproach.
Did you get to go to the Bahamas for My Soul on Fire?[]
I did - and worked as an AD. I shuttled the cast. As we had a leaner company for a trip like this, not a movie so the studio asked us to think really hard about who you are taking. My webisodes producer Jesse Schiller and I were wearing headsets and running around like nuts in the Bahamas. The AD dept got to punish us for a little bit, but we won them over. It was a BRUTALLY HOT production - but I am not complaining. It was so much fun and I mean - we took over an island.
How did you get the awesome job of assistant to Bill Lawrence?[]
I worked at a literary agency - hoping to learn a lot and go to film school. After about a year of that - Bill's agent put out the word that Bill was looking for an assistant and I interviewed and I got it. It was my first big real break. I owe everything to Bill Lawrence and my Scrubs family - period.
Any advice to aspiring television writers out there?[]
First of all - move here (to LA). Second of all - times aren't what they used to be. Yes, write TV and write webisodes - web pilots (shoot them) - but for writers, write a screenplay, write a book, short story, etc - but write every day. Acknowledge that TV is a LEAN market now with less opportunities - so just be ready to write for other mediums with just as much passion and you'll be surprised how those opportunities will get you back to what you want to do.
There is constantly debate over if there will be a ninth season. Is there any possibility this is true?[]
Absolutely. The show is in syndication and very affordable to make. Now it's just who will come back, and they are trying to do all that now. Bill and ABC and the cast - so we'll see.