Grey's Anatomy & Scrubs Share A Musical Link (& You've Heard His Work Before)
At first glance, "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scrubs" don't seem to have much in common. One is a soapy drama with beautiful actors and grotesque, suspenseful surgeries, whereas the other is "Scrubs." Sure, the two shows share a medical setting, but the similarities don't extend much further beyond that.
However, there's a deeper and less obvious connection between the two series that fans aren't aware of. As it turns out, the infamous musical episode of "Grey's Anatomy" — which aired March 31, 2011 — is partly possible because of a musical episode that aired on the show's crazy cousin "Scrubs." In fact, the musical director of the divisive, wildly unpredictable "Song Beneath the Song" on "Grey's" was also a songwriter for "Scrubs," lending his talents to the latter show's songs and score.
Ultimately, it was the involvement of this composer, Chris Horvath, coupled with trial recordings from the "Grey's" cast, that helped "Grey's" higher-ups decide to greenlight "Song Beneath the Song." It also didn't hurt that Horvath had a rich career as a composer and songwriter outside of "Scrubs."
Horvath's experience went way beyond the Scrubs musical
Before Chris Horvath jumped on board for "Song Beneath the Song," the executives over at ABC had vehemently opposed any suggestion of a "Grey's" musical. In fact, then-showrunner Shonda Rhimes had planned to have a "Grey's" musical since the show's premiere but had never made any headway with the ABC suits. However, once Chris Horvath became involved, it became obvious that he would bring style and substance to the proceedings.
In addition to working on music for "Erin Brockovich" and "National Lampoon's Gold Diggers," Horvath had composed themes for Toon Disney, as well as multiple brands. He had also worked on music for "Alias" and "Samantha Who." At various points in his career, he also worked on themes for the NBA, NFL, and Nascar, and arranged songs for the "Voice."
Much of this background information was divulged in a behind-the-scenes clip for "Grey's Anatomy" Season 7; however, the connection between "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scrubs" remains a surprising one. Still, at least fans know whom to thank now.