Fox 'Scrubs' in

"Scrubs" is one of the funniest shows on TV. But it's never become a mega-hit like "Friends" or "Everybody Loves Raymond."

Maybe it's just too different. Maybe, despite the fact that viewers say they want to see something out of the ordinary, they're more comfortable with the tried-and-true — with shows that fit into the format of traditional sitcoms.

It's not like "Scrubs" is re-inventing the genre. The comedy about young doctors toiling in a hospital has characters and plot and jokes. Lots of jokes.

And it's not the first show to cut in fantasy sequences showing viewers what the characters are thinking. Or dreaming about. But "Scrubs" does that a lot. A whole lot.

It's rapid-fire comedy, and a lot of the jokes hit the target. But it doesn't look like your average sitcom. Which is a good thing for quality, but maybe not such a good thing for ratings.

Tonight's sweeps-inspired, 40-minute-long special event (8:20 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5) brings Michael J. Fox to the show — reuniting him with "Scrubs" creator/executive producer Bill Lawrence, who also created and executive produced Fox's "Spin City." Fox plays a visiting doctor who has used his obsessive-compulsive disorder to make himself into an incredible surgeon — but his prowess as a doctor leaves Cox (John C. McGinley) and Turk (Donald Faison) doubting themselves and JD (Zach Braff) with a case of hero worship.

"Scrubs" is not your average sitcom, but it's way above average when it comes to laughs.

TRUMPED: Tonight's trio of "super-sized" sitcom episodes on NBC was supposed to have aired last week. But the network moved "The Apprentice" to Thursday nights, ending 21 years of airing four consecutive sitcoms on that night

What we're getting tonight is a repeat of the 40-minute "Friends" (7 p.m.) that aired last week; a 40-minute episode of "Will & Grace" (7:40 p.m.) — which will eventually be back on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. when this sweeps stunts end; followed by the 40-minute "Scrubs" at 8:20 p.m.

NBC moved "The Apprentice" to Thursdays because it got killed by "American Idol" on Wednesdays. Now it's getting killed by "CSI."

Despite a huge lead-in from and a 20-minute head start ("Apprentice" aired an 80-minute episode that began at 7:40 p.m.), "CSI" trounced Donald Trump & Co.

"CSI" averaged a 17.7 rating; a 26 share of the audience; and 29.27 million viewers. "Apprentice" averaged an 11.9/17 and 18.44 million viewers.