• Yahoo, Friday, February 29, 2008 11:30 AM

NBC comedy "Scrubs" is off to rival network ABC, according to insiders, with the Alphabet Net in talks to pick up 18 episodes of the show from its corporate sibling ABC Studios, which has produced the series since 2001. A show switching broadcast networks is quite rare, with the few previous examples including "JAG" from NBC to CBS and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" from The WB to UPN.

The writers strike cut short the final season of "Scrubs," to just 12 episodes and insiders say the network has been reluctant to order any more. ABC has been struggling for years to come up with a hit comedy before this season's "Samantha Who?" "Scrubs" would give it another half-hour show with a ready-made audience.

NBC has repeatedly shifted the highly praised but lightly watched show around its schedule, and for the last two seasons waited until the last minute to pick it up with partial season orders.

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