'Grey's Anatomy' Renewal Fate Revealed by ABC

By Daniel S. Levine

Grey's Anatomy will be back for Season 19 in fall 2022, ABC announced Monday. The new season will bring Ellen Pompeo back as Meredith Grey for at least one more year. Grey's Anatomy is already the longest-running primetime medical drama in U.S. television history and anchors ABC's Thursday night lineup, alongside the spinoff Station 19.

In addition to Pompeo's return, Krista Vernoff will be back as showrunner. She was a head writer on the show for its first seven seasons and returned as showrunner for Season 14. Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens Jr. are the only three actors to have appeared on the show since the beginning.

"Grey's Anatomy is a true phenomenon, beloved by audiences around the world. Whether they catch it live on ABC, or stream it on Hulu or globally on Disney+ or Star+, it's clear that fans can't get enough of Shonda Rhimes' brilliant creation," Dana Walden, chairman of Entertainment, Walt Disney Television, said in a statement. "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."

"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 and executive producer Shonda Rhimes added. "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." Vernoff is "excited to work with our extraordinary writers to dream up where we go from here, and I'm always grateful to our partners at Disney and ABC for letting us tell bold stories with real impact," she said.

Although Grey's Anatomy continues to be among the Top 10 most-watched shows on television and is tied for the top-rated drama in the 18-49 demographic, a Season 19 renewal wasn't a sure bet. Pompeo has repeatedly talked about the show ending. Just last month, she told Insider she was "trying to focus on convincing everybody that it should end," but she admitted to being the "super naïve one" who asks where the story could go next. "And everyone's like, 'Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars,'" Pompeo said.

The main Grey's Anatomy cast also includes Kevin McKidd, Kim Raver, Camilla Luddington, Caterina Scorsone, Kelly McCreary, Chris Carmack, Jake Borelli, Richard Flood, and Anthony Hill. Season 18 will resume on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 9 p.m. ET with the second half of another crossover with Station 19. The current season is available to stream on Hulu.

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