hospital

We've seen The Office as a suspense thriller. Now here's Scrubs edited as a serious drama.

Of course, it doesn't work quite as well, because Scrubs already has a lot of very serious moments. I was watching a repeat of Scrubs a few weeks ago, the episode where the woman dies and they give her organs to other patients and they die too because the docs didn't know the woman had rabies, and my roommate (who doesn't watch the show) said "I thought this show was a comedy?" And I explained that, yeah, it is, but it has a lot of serious, real moments too, and that's one of the reasons I like it. So this video isn't as good as The Office one.

But it's still well done. And they were wise not to include Dr. Kelso in the footage, because just hearing his mean, cutting voice and seeing his scrunched up face would have ruined the whole thing. Video after the jump.

(S02E09) The Adult Swim schedule grid has this episode listed as "Holy Image," but the opening credits had it as "Holy Visage," so that's what I'm calling it. At the start of this season I received an e-mail from creator Dino Stamatopoulos that said the title of the episode may change from "Holy Image" to something else. I assume it was changed so viewers wouldn't confuse it with "God's Image," an earlier episode. [Note: Dino e-mailed me and confirmed this after I posted this review].

(S02E10) I was basically a good kid, so during the Christmas season I didn't fret too much about upsetting my parents and not getting presents. I did worry about Santa, though, a fictional being I believed in slightly longer than most kids. What was interesting about this episode is that the "real" Santa is never referred to. I don't know if this was for plot convenience, or because Chris' family was more realistic about what the kids could and could not get for Christmas.

Lifetime, has given the thumbs up to two new drama pilots. The first, The Madness of Ava, is being billed as a female version of House. The series is based on an actual doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital who suffers from bipolar disorder (played by Ever Carradine). I don't know if I'll ever watch this show, but at least I'll know not to ask for that doctor if I'm ever injured in Massachusetts:

Doctor: This patient has half a steering wheel stuck through his liver! I hate my job and everyone here! [pushes me out the hospital door, I roll across the street into an auto salvage yard].

Have you noticed that the name of Eric Dane's character on Grey's Anatomy, a doctor, has the same name as another famous TV doctor?

Dane's character is named Dr. Mark Sloan, which was also the name of Dick Van Dyke's character on Diagnosis: Murder. Is the name a tribute to Van Dyke's character? No, it's not, according to an ABC publicist. Just one of those funny coincidences.

Which is probably a good thing, since fans won't want to think of Dick Van Dyke wearing only a towel around his waist. Of course, now that I've put that image in your head, how can you not think of it the next time you see him?

[via TV Tattle - also mentioned by Lee Goldberg]

While recovering in the hospital from cancer surgery, the syndicated Ebert and Roeper has had a different guest host on every week to fill in for Ebert while he recovers. Now that it's been revealed that Ebert is actually going to be spending more time in the hospital than he initially thought, even more hosts have been lined up to keep the show going as he convalesces. The guests, which will appear on the show until the end of September, include Aisha Tyler, Fred Willard, television writer John Ridley, entertainment reporter Toni Senecal, and Chicago Tribune movie critic Michael Phillips. It is still uncertain when Ebert will be able to return to work, but I hope it's sooner rather than later. Having guest critics on is fun and all, but I do miss Roger.

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has an interesting article on the hit FOX series House, including interviews with actor Robert Sean Leonard (who plays Dr. Wilson, both friend and foil to the incorrigible Dr. House) and Katie Jacobs, the show's executive producer. Despite his character growing on fans, Leonard claims he wants to keep his role small so he has free time to spend with his wife. Ah, that's sweet. We also get some insight into Hugh Laurie, who plays the titular role. Apparently Laurie is very self-critical when it comes to his American accent. Personally, I think he does it flawlessly, which is more than I can say for Michael Caine.

Oh yeah, and a reminder to House fans that the first part of a two-part episode airs this evening.