9 Easter Eggs Hidden In TV Shows That Went Over Your Head

9. Do Scrubs And 8 Simple Rules Feature The Same Character?

John Ritter was an important, albeit small, part of Scrubs. Playing the role of J.D.'s father, Ritter resonates throughout the entire length of the show - as J.D.'s abandonment issues leave him forever seeking approval from his "work dad," Dr. Cox - even though he only physically appeared in two episodes. Although the show's creator, Bill Lawrence,wanted Ritter to be in more episodes, the actor's commitment to another sitcom, 8 Simple Rules, kept him from being available very often.

But one of those Scrubs episodes - Season 2's "My Lucky Dady" - features a flashback where Ritter presents a young J.D. with his birthday present, a bicycle bell. The joke is that his dad is a down-and-out office supply salesman and that, since he can't afford tobuy J.D. an actual bike for his birthday, he decides to buy him one part of a bicycle each year, and he'll eventually have enough pieces to assemble the real thing. (He's still waiting for the kickstand, by the way.)

The eagle-eyed viewers of both shows might have recognized that the living room from that flashback is actually the same living room used in 8 Simple Rules. This was not only aconvenient way to ensure the scene didn't take too much time away from John Ritter's busy schedule, Lawrence also wanted to give a nod to the fact that Ritter was one of the busiest fathers on television.

One fan theory went so far as to suggest that Ritter's character in Scrubs is actually the same as his character in 8 Simple Rules, and that he actually hastwofamilies, using his cover of "traveling office supply salesman" as an excuse to drop in periodically onJ.D. and spend the bulk of his time with his "other" family. But that's probably just crazy talk.