Ted Buckland
Encyclopedia
Theodore "Ted" Buckland, Esq., most commonly referred to as Ted Buckland (only credited as lawyer in his first appareance), is a fictional character played by Sam Lloyd
in Bill Lawrence series Scrubs
and Cougar Town
, and the only character to appears in both series.
Created for Scrubs, Ted is the depressive, suicidal and incompetent lawyer
of the Sacred Heart Hospital, constantly degraded by Kelso
and many other characters. He is also the leader of an a capella band, The Worthless Peons, played by Lloyd's real-life band, The Blanks
. He was a reccuring member for the first eight seasons, and also appears in an episode of the ninth and final season
. He appears in 95 episodes overall, making him the main supporting character in the series history.
In 2011, Lloyd reprises his role as Ted in Cougar Town, and appears several times in the season 2 finale. Lloyd is supposed to reprises the role once again in the upcoming third season.
’s lawyer; however he is apparently so inept that the only advice he gives is "kill a patient and you're sued". The episode "My Dream Job" reveals that it took him five tries to pass the bar exam (even then it is revealed that it was passed in Alaska where most of the laws were related to killing seals). Once referred to as the hospital's "sad sack
" by Dr. Cox in "My Fishbowl", every insult can be seen to chip away at his little remaining self esteem. He is so accustomed to abuse that he reacts with surprise and disbelief when he receives even the slightest acknowledgment ("Oh good God! She knows my name. Am I awake?"). He is prone to panic attack
s and is often seen sweating ("flop sweat"). The episode "My Faith in Humanity" implies Ted has never won a case. Ted also says in one episode that he lost his hair in 8th grade,although this is not true as shown in a flashback accepting his job for Dr. Kelso. Also he often fantasizes about what his life would be like with hair. In the episode, "My Half-Acre", Ted is part of the Cool Cats, an air band
consisting of Ted, the Janitor
, Lloyd, and later on, Turk
, in which he plays left-handed air guitar.
on countless occasions, even going so far as to stand on the edge of the hospital roof (at one point, he notes, doing so on a daily basis); on one occasion he actually fell by accident after Dr. Kelso came on the roof using an airhorn to scare birds off his car but expressed relief on the way down before he survived due to the Janitor
's collection of trash. Ted has described the only dream he ever has as "holding [ Kelso's
] head under the water until the last bubble goes... bloop." Kelso seems aware of how much Ted hates him, but knows he doesn't have the guts to do anything about it. In the first season Ted claims that his wife and family (potentially indicating that he has children) left him due to the stresses of his job. This occurred roughly five years before the start of the first season (Ted has been divorced eight years as of season 3's "My Rule of Thumb"). In season 4 ("My New Game"), Ted says that his ex-wife is now with his brother, who is nine inches shorter than Ted but wears a toupee
. He lived with his mother (sleeping in the same bed) until the bank foreclosed on his house in "My Transition". Ted claims to suffer from stress-induced dyslexia
, calling Dr. Kelso "Dr. Oslek" on one occasion. Once, in an attempt to help Janitor give the evil eye, he instead made what Janitor called "sad eye", then explained, "It's all I've got."
Ted is part of an a cappella
group, with three other non-medical employees from around the hospital, called "The Worthless Peons" (played by The Blanks, the real-life band of Sam Lloyd). Ted also attends Korean Singles Night at a local church with the Janitor. His other interests include biking and competing in triathlon
s, often training with friend, and fellow loser, Dr. Doug Murphy. He once tried to do stomach crunches on a machine in his office, which broke, leaving him hanging upside down for more than 24 hours.
With Bob Kelso's retirement from the hospital, The Janitor advised Ted to stand up for himself so that what happened with Kelso does not happen with new Chief of Medicine, Dr. Cox
, because getting coffee and washing cars, etc, is not part of his job as a lawyer. Ted informs Dr. Cox of this (who doesn't care), freeing himself from the position of hospital stooge. However, he becomes addicted to the new found 'power', becoming more aggressive towards everyone including Janitor, leading to a brief split in the Brain Trust. But this is resolved by the end of the episode. (Whether he will be a more skillful lawyer now, has yet to be seen.) Ted's transformation is further demonstrated in Season 8 when he confronts Elliot about her ego and offers advice to his other co-workers about their personal problems.
" by the band Poison
every day.
In the episode "Their Story
", Ted is shown to be a competent lawyer when he succeeds in saving three nurses from being fired. His good deed goes unnoticed by the staff, however, as their leverage used to blackmail
Dr. Kelso had to be left anonymous by Ted or he'd have risked losing his job.
He has a disturbingly close relationship
with his mother, with whom he lives. They even sleep in the same bed. (as referenced in My Big Bird). He said that his mother limits the amount of time he has in the bath, and has installed a camera in the bathroom to check up on him. When Keith Dudemeister suggested that his mom could be a lesbian
, Ted tells him that he knows his mother likes men, having seen her have sex with one (Sam Lloyd's real life mother can be seen in the photograph that he keeps on his desk or behind him on the show).
As a result of his relationship with his mother, Ted is sexually attracted to older women. In "My Road to Nowhere
", Ted checks out an older woman's rear, then comes on to her by saying she smells like his mom. In "My Words of Wisdom", after Elliot has let Keith go out of town to meet a friend on their anniversary, every guy in the hospital is shocked (and attracted) by her lenience. Ted tells her "If only you were 40 years older..."
Since his wife divorced him for his brother, his love life has been practically non-existent. In the episode "My Rule of Thumb", however, he befriends and makes love to a terminally ill
woman who wants to lose her virginity
before dying. According to the woman, he was a "stallion" in bed. However, Ted is apparently reproductively sterile. He states, "My guys swim in circles; I think it's the bike riding." In the episode "My Absence" he reveals that the cycling has caused his sperm to lose their tails.
He did, however, make out with Danni Sullivan at Turk and Carla's wedding. This leads to ill-feelings between him and fellow Brain-Trust member Doug, whom Danni also made out with.
In the season 8 episode "My Lawyer In love" he falls head over heels in love with a uklele player whom he calls by her last name "Gooch"
In "My Waste of Time", Ted attempts to woo a woman by stating "I want to make you pregnant."
He is now in a relationship with Stephanie Gooch.
Sam Lloyd
Sam Lloyd may refer to:*Samuel T. Lloyd III, dean of Washington National Cathedral*Sam Lloyd, recurring guest character on several television shows including Scrubs and Desperate Housewives-See also:...
in Bill Lawrence series Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
and Cougar Town
Cougar Town
Cougar Town is an American television sitcom that premiered on ABC on September 23, 2009. The series focuses on a recently divorced woman in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life's next chapter, along with her son, ex-husband, and friends who together make...
, and the only character to appears in both series.
Created for Scrubs, Ted is the depressive, suicidal and incompetent lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
of the Sacred Heart Hospital, constantly degraded by Kelso
Bob Kelso
Robert "Bob" Kelso, M.D. , is a fictional character played by Ken Jenkins in the American comedy-drama Scrubs....
and many other characters. He is also the leader of an a capella band, The Worthless Peons, played by Lloyd's real-life band, The Blanks
The Blanks
The Blanks are an a cappella group. Most notably, they appeared in the TV series Scrubs in a recurring guest role, under various names such as Ted's Band and The Worthless Peons...
. He was a reccuring member for the first eight seasons, and also appears in an episode of the ninth and final season
Scrubs (season 9)
The ninth and final season of the American comedy-drama television series Scrubs premiered on ABC on December 1, 2009 and concluded on March 17, 2010 and consists of 13 episodes...
. He appears in 95 episodes overall, making him the main supporting character in the series history.
In 2011, Lloyd reprises his role as Ted in Cougar Town, and appears several times in the season 2 finale. Lloyd is supposed to reprises the role once again in the upcoming third season.
Profile
Ted is Sacred Heart HospitalSacred Heart Hospital
Sacred Heart Hospital may refer to:In Nigeria:* Sacred Heart Hospital - Ogun State, NigeriaIn the United States:* Sacred Heart Children's Hospital - Pensacola, Florida* Sacred Heart Hospital of Pensacola - Pensacola, Florida...
’s lawyer; however he is apparently so inept that the only advice he gives is "kill a patient and you're sued". The episode "My Dream Job" reveals that it took him five tries to pass the bar exam (even then it is revealed that it was passed in Alaska where most of the laws were related to killing seals). Once referred to as the hospital's "sad sack
Sad Sack
The Sad Sack is an American fictional comic strip and comic book character created by Sgt. George Baker during World War II. Set in the United States Army, Sad Sack depicted an otherwise unnamed, lowly private experiencing some of the absurdities and humiliations of military life. The title was a...
" by Dr. Cox in "My Fishbowl", every insult can be seen to chip away at his little remaining self esteem. He is so accustomed to abuse that he reacts with surprise and disbelief when he receives even the slightest acknowledgment ("Oh good God! She knows my name. Am I awake?"). He is prone to panic attack
Panic attack
Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or apprehension that are of sudden onset and of relatively brief duration. Panic attacks usually begin abruptly, reach a peak within 10 minutes, and subside over the next several hours...
s and is often seen sweating ("flop sweat"). The episode "My Faith in Humanity" implies Ted has never won a case. Ted also says in one episode that he lost his hair in 8th grade,although this is not true as shown in a flashback accepting his job for Dr. Kelso. Also he often fantasizes about what his life would be like with hair. In the episode, "My Half-Acre", Ted is part of the Cool Cats, an air band
Air guitar
Playing air guitar is a form of dance and movement in which the performer pretends to play rock or heavy metal-style electric guitar, including riffs, solos, etc. Playing an air guitar usually consists of exaggerated strumming and picking motions and is often coupled with loud singing or lip-synching...
consisting of Ted, the Janitor
Janitor (Scrubs)
The Janitor is a fictional character, played by actor Neil Flynn in the American comedy-drama Scrubs.Neil Flynn was originally billed as a recurring guest star throughout Season 1, although he appeared in all 24 episodes of that season. He was promoted to a series regular beginning with Season 2...
, Lloyd, and later on, Turk
Christopher Turk
Christopher Duncan Turk, M.D., is a fictional character played by Donald Faison on the American comedy-drama Scrubs. Turk has appeared in every episode except three Season 8 episodes, "My Saving Grace", "My New Role" and "My Lawyer's in Love". Donald Faison is the only original cast member,...
, in which he plays left-handed air guitar.
Personality
Ted has considered suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
on countless occasions, even going so far as to stand on the edge of the hospital roof (at one point, he notes, doing so on a daily basis); on one occasion he actually fell by accident after Dr. Kelso came on the roof using an airhorn to scare birds off his car but expressed relief on the way down before he survived due to the Janitor
Janitor (Scrubs)
The Janitor is a fictional character, played by actor Neil Flynn in the American comedy-drama Scrubs.Neil Flynn was originally billed as a recurring guest star throughout Season 1, although he appeared in all 24 episodes of that season. He was promoted to a series regular beginning with Season 2...
's collection of trash. Ted has described the only dream he ever has as "holding [ Kelso's
Bob Kelso
Robert "Bob" Kelso, M.D. , is a fictional character played by Ken Jenkins in the American comedy-drama Scrubs....
] head under the water until the last bubble goes... bloop." Kelso seems aware of how much Ted hates him, but knows he doesn't have the guts to do anything about it. In the first season Ted claims that his wife and family (potentially indicating that he has children) left him due to the stresses of his job. This occurred roughly five years before the start of the first season (Ted has been divorced eight years as of season 3's "My Rule of Thumb"). In season 4 ("My New Game"), Ted says that his ex-wife is now with his brother, who is nine inches shorter than Ted but wears a toupee
Toupee
A toupée is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to lengthen existing hair, or cover partially exposed scalp...
. He lived with his mother (sleeping in the same bed) until the bank foreclosed on his house in "My Transition". Ted claims to suffer from stress-induced dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
, calling Dr. Kelso "Dr. Oslek" on one occasion. Once, in an attempt to help Janitor give the evil eye, he instead made what Janitor called "sad eye", then explained, "It's all I've got."
Ted is part of an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group, with three other non-medical employees from around the hospital, called "The Worthless Peons" (played by The Blanks, the real-life band of Sam Lloyd). Ted also attends Korean Singles Night at a local church with the Janitor. His other interests include biking and competing in triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
s, often training with friend, and fellow loser, Dr. Doug Murphy. He once tried to do stomach crunches on a machine in his office, which broke, leaving him hanging upside down for more than 24 hours.
With Bob Kelso's retirement from the hospital, The Janitor advised Ted to stand up for himself so that what happened with Kelso does not happen with new Chief of Medicine, Dr. Cox
Dr. Cox
Percival "Perry" Ulysses Cox, M.D. , is a fictional character played by John C. McGinley on the American television comedy-drama Scrubs....
, because getting coffee and washing cars, etc, is not part of his job as a lawyer. Ted informs Dr. Cox of this (who doesn't care), freeing himself from the position of hospital stooge. However, he becomes addicted to the new found 'power', becoming more aggressive towards everyone including Janitor, leading to a brief split in the Brain Trust. But this is resolved by the end of the episode. (Whether he will be a more skillful lawyer now, has yet to be seen.) Ted's transformation is further demonstrated in Season 8 when he confronts Elliot about her ego and offers advice to his other co-workers about their personal problems.
Relationships
The Janitor willingly forms a 'Brain Trust' with Doug Murphy, The Todd and Ted, in an effort to further the Janitor's own goals. Ted has also been seen sitting with Nurse Roberts. There are also instances of Ted and Carla working together and comforting each other. Such an instance occurred early in the show when Ted and Carla sang to a comatose patient whose living will requested he hear "Talk Dirty To MeTalk Dirty to Me
"Talk Dirty to Me" is the second single from Poison, originally from the album Look What the Cat Dragged In. It was the band's first big international hit.It is a staple on their live shows and was named by VH1 40th greatest hard rock song of all time...
" by the band Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
every day.
In the episode "Their Story
Their Story
"Their Story" is the 134th episode of the American situation comedy Scrubs. It was aired as episode 17 of season 6 on April 19, 2007. It is noteworthy for focusing on the three main supporting characters of the series, Ted, Todd and Jordan, who replaced J.D...
", Ted is shown to be a competent lawyer when he succeeds in saving three nurses from being fired. His good deed goes unnoticed by the staff, however, as their leverage used to blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
Dr. Kelso had to be left anonymous by Ted or he'd have risked losing his job.
He has a disturbingly close relationship
Oedipus complex
In psychoanalytic theory, the term Oedipus complex denotes the emotions and ideas that the mind keeps in the unconscious, via dynamic repression, that concentrate upon a boy’s desire to sexually possess his mother, and kill his father...
with his mother, with whom he lives. They even sleep in the same bed. (as referenced in My Big Bird). He said that his mother limits the amount of time he has in the bath, and has installed a camera in the bathroom to check up on him. When Keith Dudemeister suggested that his mom could be a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, Ted tells him that he knows his mother likes men, having seen her have sex with one (Sam Lloyd's real life mother can be seen in the photograph that he keeps on his desk or behind him on the show).
As a result of his relationship with his mother, Ted is sexually attracted to older women. In "My Road to Nowhere
My Road to Nowhere
"My Road to Nowhere" is the 8th episode of season six and 125th episode overall of the American sitcom Scrubs. It aired on February 8, 2007 NBC.-Synopsis:...
", Ted checks out an older woman's rear, then comes on to her by saying she smells like his mom. In "My Words of Wisdom", after Elliot has let Keith go out of town to meet a friend on their anniversary, every guy in the hospital is shocked (and attracted) by her lenience. Ted tells her "If only you were 40 years older..."
Since his wife divorced him for his brother, his love life has been practically non-existent. In the episode "My Rule of Thumb", however, he befriends and makes love to a terminally ill
Terminal illness
Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as...
woman who wants to lose her virginity
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
before dying. According to the woman, he was a "stallion" in bed. However, Ted is apparently reproductively sterile. He states, "My guys swim in circles; I think it's the bike riding." In the episode "My Absence" he reveals that the cycling has caused his sperm to lose their tails.
He did, however, make out with Danni Sullivan at Turk and Carla's wedding. This leads to ill-feelings between him and fellow Brain-Trust member Doug, whom Danni also made out with.
In the season 8 episode "My Lawyer In love" he falls head over heels in love with a uklele player whom he calls by her last name "Gooch"
In "My Waste of Time", Ted attempts to woo a woman by stating "I want to make you pregnant."
He is now in a relationship with Stephanie Gooch.