Scrubs Finds a Friend

Courteney Cox to have a three-episode arc in season eight, playing Sacred Heart's new chief of medicine

Courteney Cox is scrubbing the taste of Dirt out of her mouth.

The former Friends star has signed on for a three-episode guest spot on the upcoming eighth season of Scrubs, E! News confirmed Wednesday.

Now that Dr. Kelso's retirement has kicked into gear, Cox has been brought onboard to "ruffle feathers" as Sacred Heart teaching hospital's new chief of medicine, an insider told EW.com, which first reported the casting coup.

Surely that involves butting heads with the other Cox of the walk, the one played by John C. McGinley, and somehow emasculating J.D., right?

We would hope so!

But while Cox will be making a welcome return to situation comedy after playing the decidedly unlovable tabloid editor Lucy Spiller on the FX drama Dirt, which was canceled after two seasons, she will not be doing it on her old NBC stomping grounds.

Unlike Scrubs' previous seven seasons, this new one will be airing on ABC after the Peacock network opted to release executive producer Bill Lawrence from his contract a year early.

Lawrence originally envisioned ending the quirky medical sitcom this spring, but the writers' strike mucked up his grand-finale plans. Since Scrubs was already a Touchstone Television (now ABC Studios)-produced show, he figured ABC would give his creation a good home.