Yeah, you read that title right, and I lead off with the best news (in my humble opinion).

ABC has reportedly renewed the workplace sitcom Better Off Ted for a second season, despite low average ratings that hovered in the neighborhood of 4 million viewers. Season Two will likely consist of about 13 episodes, including the handful still on the shelf from the recently ended freshman season.

Ted’s slightly less low-rated Wednesday-night companion Scrubs will return, as well, for a ninth season, with Zach Braff having already signed on the dotted line to come back for six episodes. However, the situation for the rest of the original cast is currently in the air since they’re busy, busy people, with pilots, upcoming series, and recurring roles on other hit shows.

Finally, while I don’t talk about Nathan Fillion’s fun crime-dramedy procedural Castle all that much, I never miss an episode. So, it’s great to learn ABC has taken the plunge and renewed it for a sophomore season. I may not be able to get my Life fix anymore, but I think I’ll survive okay with a hearty serving of Castle next season.

If you hadn’t heard yet, tonight’s one-hour Scrubs finale, appropriately called “My Finale,” will feature an astounding 50-Plus past guest stars who have graced the series with their talent. Follow the jump to find out who they are:

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It’s time, Scrubs fans.

Whether tonight’s special two-part, one-hour episode from 8pm–9pm ET serves as just an eighth-season finale for the long-running ABC comedy or a series finale, there’s no doubt that the central event is central character J.D. bidding farewell to his Sacred Heart colleagues, as well as his position as a series regular. Zach Braff is indeed moving on.

During the episode called “My Finale,” which was written and directed by series creator Bill Lawrence, J.D. plans to say goodbye to Sacred Heart, but will his final day stand up to his fantasy of scoring a hug from Dr. Cox or learning the Janitor’s real name?

Meanwhile, when random furnishings from Elliot’s apartment turn up in J.D.’s place, it becomes clear that she finally plans to take their relationship to a whole new level. Good for him! He deserves it.

Just in case this is really the end, Scrubs has starred Zach Braff as J.D. Dorian, Sarah Chalke as Elliot Reid, Donald Faison as Chris Turk, John C. McGinley as Dr. Perry Cox, Judy Reyes as Carla Espinosa, Ken Jenkins as Dr. Bob Kelso, Neil Flynn as the Janitor, Robert Maschio as Todd Quinlan, Sam Lloyd as Ted Buckland, and Aloma Wright as Laverne Roberts from the very first episode, although the last three cast members are technically billed as guest stars instead of regulars.

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If you believe a recent report at The Hollywood Reporter, a ninth season of the ABC sitcom Scrubs could indeed be on the way to becoming a reality.

Although series regular Zach Braff has long claimed Season Eight will be his last season as a regular, there’s also the issue of his co-stars Donald Faison, John C. McGinley, and Neil Flynn, who’ve all landed pilots, as well as series creator Bill Lawrence, currently working on his own pilot Cougar Town. Provided the potential new shows get pickups, the actors and Lawrence would be bound by contract to treat the forthcoming series as their first priority.

Staff complications aside, I can see why ABC would want to keep Scrubs around longer, especially if the network can lure current cast members back for either occasional or regular roles. But viewers have already been primed for the present season to be the last. How many more changes can fans be expected to take and still stick around? I’m guessing as many as needed for Scrubs to remain in production.

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If all goes well, it looks like Scrubs star Donald Faison will be staying at ABC and in the comedy genre for his next acting gig.

Reports indicate that the man many know and love as hilarious Chris Turk on the eight-season sitcom has lined up a role in the pilot for The Law. The potential comedy series follows the adventures of reserve officers for the Los Angeles Police Department in a way that I hope isn’t too reminiscent of Reno 911!.

Already onboard are Cedric the Entertainer (Barbershop, The Steve Harvey Show) and Mädchen Amick (My Own Worst Enemy, Californication), which is a pretty good preliminary cast.

Scrubs moved to ABC for its current eighth season after a seven-season run on NBC. However, the series is rumored to be calling it quits forever on Wednesday, May 6th, with an hourlong, guest star-filled series finale called — surprise, surprise — “My Finale.”

How appropriate. And if you’re a Sacred Heart fan who has been dying for nearly a decade to finally learn the Janitor’s real name, you definitely don’t want to miss this episode, since the big reveal will allegedly take place sometime during it.

Scrubs airs Wednesdays on ABC at 8pm EST.

As loyal Scrubs fans already know, last night the show made its eighth-season debut on its new home network ABC with the back-to-back episodes “My Jerks” and “My Last Words.”

On the first episode, the Sacred Heart gang meets new Chief of Medicine Dr. Taylor Maddox, played by competent Courteney Cox (sorry, all of you prepared to rag on her performance), who initially comes across as a sickeningly sunny and upbeat boss.

Never fear, though, because as the second episode makes clear, she has more than a few issues to help her fit in with the already quite quirky staff. A prime example is her tendency to care more about patients’ ability to pay up than the hospital’s ability to treat everyone who comes through the doors. Even The Janitor doesn’t phase her when he refuses to reveal his name (“The Janitor” reads his clip-on ID tag, ever so helpfully).

“My Jerks” also introduces us to Sacred Heart’s newest crop of extremely inept but memorable interns, including Aziz Ansari’s Ed, the one who has the power to instantly coin new phrases and convince everyone to follow along, and my personal favorite, Eliza Coupe’s super bitchy Denise, whose ultra negative, overly honest attitude and observations make it a teensy bit difficult for her to relate to patients … and most other human beings.

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Comedy fans have a whole lotta options tonight because no less than three shows — two sitcoms and a dramedy — return with new episodes for a new year. Here’s a brief rundown, in broadcast order:

Scrubs
My Jerks/My Last Words

On the eighth-season and ABC premiere, NBC’s former long-running staple gets a new boss in the form of Friends and Dirt alumna Courteney Cox, who ends up not being as pretty as that famous face is. In addition to dealing with Sacred Heart’s latest chief of medicine, J.D. must also cope with the hospital’s screwiest group of interns ever, while Carla does her best to keep Elliott’s enormous sense of self-worth from ballooning too much.

Immediately afterwards on “My Last Words,” the Sacred Heart bunch begins to suspect Dr. Maddox’s (Cox) real nature, even as J.D. and Turk put their heads together to help out a dying patient. The big guest star, at least to me, is former A Different World cast member Glynn Turman. [9pm and 9:30pm, ABC]

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When Scrubs makes its ABC premiere at 9pm EST on January 6, lucky fans will get two back-to-back episodes: “My Jerk” and “My Last Words.”

On the first installment, “My Jerk,” technically the show’s eighth-season premiere, Friends alum Courteney Cox guests stars as Sacred Heart’s new boss, incoming Chief of Staff Dr. Maddox.

She’s described as a “beautiful but unethical replacement” for Dr. Kelso, which means she should fit right in with the rest of the generally good-looking yet trouble-maker staff.

Meanwhile, J.D. will have his hands full with a new group of unbelievably inept interns — a predicament Dr. Cox is going to just love, love, love — and it will be up to Carla to make sure Elliott’s head doesn’t blow up too big.

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Cool casting news: It looks like Scrubs star Sarah Chalke is heading back to Lifetime in another made-for-TV project.

The Canadian actress many sitcom fans know best as fictional Sacred Heart’s Dr. Elliot Reid last appeared on the network in the successful 2006 movie Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy. Now, she’s set to star in the four-hour mini-series Maneater, slated to premiere in 2009.

The series is based on the book of the same name by Starter Wife novel author Gigi Levangie Grazer (and, yes, the Debra Messing mini-series turned series is based on that bestseller, as well). Chalke plays self-involved, 31-year-old socialite Clarissa Alpert, who becomes determined to snag a famous Hollywood producer named Aaron Mason as her husband and enlists her entire family and group of friends to help.

Timothy Busfield, who has been busy filming episodes of series like Lipstick Jungle and Without a Trace lately, will direct, and writer Suzanne Martin, a two-time Emmy winner for Frasier, will handle the adaptation.

If you’re a Chalke fan or if this sort of chick-TV is your thing, get happy because there’s little doubt the project is destined to become another hit for Lifetime — the combination of talent is just too potent for it to be any other way.

Friends and Dirt alumna Courteney Cox isn’t wasting any time getting back on the TV comedy horse. The actress has a much-publicized guest-star stint on the now-ABC sitcom Scrubs, which opens its eighth and first non-NBC season Tuesday, January 6, with the premiere “My Jerks.”

In the meantime, the Alphabet Network has released preview footage of Cox appearing on the show as Sacred Heart’s new Chief of Medicine. Take a look at it and an extended Season Eight trailer after the jump.

And by the way: If Cox isn’t enough Friends benefits for you, keep in mind that her former colleague Matthew Perry is also scheduled to do some time in the hospital’s wacky halls during the upcoming season. I like.

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