Hulu Removes 'Scrubs' Episodes Featuring Blackface

Streaming giant Hulu has taken the tough decision of removing certain episodes of the hit TV series “Scrubs” that featured characters in blackface. The decision comes just 24 hours after talk show host Jimmy Kimmel issued an apology for wearing blackface in the mid- and late 1990s.

A source told Variety that the decision was taken after Bill Lawrence, creator of the show, and ABC Studios requested the streaming service to delete the episodes where actors can be seen wearing blackface.

The publication also reported that a total of three episodes have been removed from Hulu. The deleted episodes are “My Fifteen Seconds” (season 3, episode 7), “My Jiggly Ball” (season 5, episode 4), and “My Chopped Liver” (season 5, episode 17).

Earlier this week, Lawrence confirmed that some episodes from “Scrubs” were being taken down while replying to a tweet.

Apart from “Scrubs,” multiple episodes from the series “30 Rock” were also removed from streaming services like Amazon Prime and Hulu for the same reason.

“Scrubs” chronicles the journey of employees at the fictional Sacred Heart Hospital, which is a teaching hospital. The series ran for nine seasons and 182 episodes from 2002-2010. The show has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series.

The show’s lead actor Zach Braff was also nominated for three Golden Globes for portraying the character of Dr. John Dorian. The cast also included Donald Faison, John C McGinley, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, and Ken Jenkins.

Kimmel also recently apologized for impersonating NBA player Karl Malone by wearing blackface on radio and television. In a statement obtained by the Hollywood Reporter, the 52-year-old TV personality shared that he is sorry to those who have been “genuinely hurt or offended” by his actions.

Some of the impressions made by the talk show host featured on Los Angeles’ KROQ radio. He wore blackface and imitated Malone once again on a show called “The Man Show,” a Comedy Central series that ran for six seasons between 1999 and 2004.

“I have long been reluctant to address this, as I knew doing so would be celebrated as a victory by those who equate apologies with weakness and cheer for leaders who use prejudice to divide us. That delay was a mistake. There is nothing more important to me than your respect, and I apologize to those who were genuinely hurt or offended by the makeup I wore or the words I spoke,” Kimmel said.