Grey’s Anatomy has spent a bulk of its time on the air killing off various main characters.
Which is pretty ironic.
Because this is the show that simply won’t die.
In a stark contrast to last spring, when a renewal for an 18th season of this beloved drama didn’t come until the last second, ABC went ahead on Monday and made hearts race across the country.
By announcing Grey’s Anatomy Season 19!
According to Variety and other outlets, star Ellen Pompeo has signed a new contract and will once again lead the way as Meredith Grey.
Moreover, executive producer Krista Vernoff will continue on as showrunner, while original cast members Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. are also set to return for Season 19.
“I couldn’t be more excited that we get to keep telling the stories of Meredith, Bailey, Richard and all of the other doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial for another season,” creator Shonda Rhimes said in a statement.
“This is a true testament to Krista Vernoff, the cast, the crew and all the writers who keep the audience on the edge of their seat week after week.
“And it would not be possible without the generations of incredible fans who have supported Grey’s Anatomy for so many years.”
Dana Walden, Chairman of Entertainment at Walt Disney Television, added the following in a statement of her own.
“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.”
After all these years on the air, Grey’s Anatomy remains ABC’s top-rated show.
It’s also tied for the spot spot in the coveted 18-to-49 demographic.
Just a few weeks ago, Pompeo admitted that she was basically done with the show.
She really wasn’t interested in continuing.
Nor, the actress added, was this a new sentiment.
Pompeo has wanted to end Grey’s Anatomy for years now.
So, why hasn’t it happened?
“I’ve been trying to focus on convincing everybody that [Grey’s] should end. 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?’” Pompeo confessed to The Insider.
“And everyone’s like, ‘Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars,” she added.
This is very much true.
In a Variety cover story in November, Rhimes dug into the long-running show’s legacy.
She said that while she wishes the program would be thought of for how it inspired so many women to become physicians, she’s very much aware how Grey’s Anatomy is viewed:
As a revolutionary moment for inclusiveness on the small screen.
“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,” Rhimes said, “which makes me embarrassed for television.”
Rhimes added that the show’s longevity is “inspiring” to her.
“I have a 19-year-old who’s in college right now,” she said.
“And when that 19-year-old was strapped to my chest as a baby, I wrote a show, and that show is still on the air.”
