“Grey’s Anatomy” fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
The long-running ABC medical drama has been given an early renewal and will return for a 19th season, reported Variety.
Ellen Pompeo will also reprise the titular role of Meredith Grey, the outlet noted.
As Variety noted, the news is a welcome surprise as last year's renewal for season 18 was a nail-biter for fans and wasn’t announced until May.
In recent seasons, the show embroiled itself in the pandemic, focusing on frontline workers and the dilemmas that mirrored those we know from real life. In fact, Meredith Grey nearly died after a bout with the virus in season 17.
The series is currently taking place in a post-pandemic world. According to ABC, season 19 “will explore the ever-expanding world of modern medicine through the eyes of beloved returning and new characters," per Deadline.
Though her character beat COVID, Pompeo’s return for season 19 was a bit of a surprise too. Since she’s been on the series from its inception, for the last few seasons there’s always a question as to whether she’d return.
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Less than a month ago in an interview with Insider, Pompeo sounded ready to ride off into the sunset, or the emergency room exit, or what have you.
“I’ve been trying to focus on convincing everybody that it should end,” said Pompeo. “I feel like I’m the super naive one who keeps saying, ‘But what’s the story going to be, what story are we going to tell?’ And everyone’s like, ‘Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars.'”
Pompeo is currently a co-executive producer, and has now been bumped up to executive producer for next season, a factor that probably informed her decision to return.
Original cast members Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. are also set to return next season.
The success of “Grey’s Anatomy” is historic – it’s the longest-running primetime medical drama in television history. It remains ABC’s top-rated show; and in that all-important 18-to-49 demographic, it’s tied for number one as broadcast television’s top-rated drama overall.
But the show’s influence has gone beyond ABC’s accounting spreadsheets. Last November, show creator Shonda Rhimes talked with Variety about the lasting casting influence “Grey’s Anatomy” has had on network television.
Rhimes admitted that she had hoped after all this time the show would mainly be known for its creation of strong, inspiring female characters. She concluded though that, “Sadly, I think the legacy might simply just be that we made it possible for more people of color to have jobs on camera on television, which makes me embarrassed for television.”
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Disney executives are anything but embarrassed.
Dana Walden, the chairman of entertainment at Walt Disney Television, told Variety that “Grey’s” is “a true phenomenon, beloved by audiences around the world…. We have enormous faith in Shonda, Krista Vernoff, Ellen Pompeo and the entire creative team to unlock new, untold stories that will continue to focus on modern medicine, tackle the issues that shape the world around us, and resonate deeply with loyal fans for years to come.”
The remaining episodes of Season 18 of "Grey's Anatomy" will return February 24th, while a premiere date for season 19 has yet to be announced.
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