‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 20 Will Be the Show’s Shortest Since Season 1

More details have been released about upcoming seasons for scripted series, and Grey’s Anatomy is in for a very short ride. A lot of shows finally went back into production for their writers’ rooms at the beginning of last month, following the end of the writers’ strike. Now, with the SAG-AFTRA strike seemingly close to an end, shows are planning their returns. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, most shows will be getting very short seasons, and Grey’s Anatomy is getting its shortest season since it premiered.

According to TVLine, the ABC medical drama, along with spinoff Station 19, The Rookie, and The Good Doctor, are expected to secure just 10 episodes for their upcoming seasons. This marks the second-shortest season in the show’s 20-season run. Season 1 only had nine episodes because it premiered during midseason. Seasons 4 and 17 had 17 episodes each due to the 2008 writers’ strike and COVID, respectively. Other than that, episode counts have averaged between 20-25 each season.

Deadline reports that while the 10-episode order is not set in stone, it seems to have been a “sweet spot” for seasons impacted by the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes during the 2023-24 broadcast TV season. Due to expenses, a shorter season is not ideal, but there’s not much that can help it. It’s hard to fit a full season into only 10 episodes, but with the strikes, fans were probably expecting very short seasons. It’s not all a lost cause, however. Reportedly, some shows could earn early renewals for the 2024-25 season and film back-to-back so they could air for midseason and be able to come back for the fall for normal orders.

When fans last saw Grey’s Anatomy, the Season 19 finale ended on quite a cliffhanger. After Kim Raver’s Teddy Altman was complaining about a toothache throughout the entire episode, she collapsed in the OR. Midori Francis’ Yasuda was unable to find a pulse, and Kevin McKidd’s Owen came rushing in. However, the last thing fans see is Teddy flatlining and Yasuda using a defibrillator on her. A bit of a spoiler alert, but prior to the finale, it was revealed that Raver had renewed her contract for Season 20, so there’s a good chance Teddy doesn’t die, at least not yet. That doesn’t mean that she’s out of the woods, though.

Hopefully it won’t be long until Grey’s Anatomy comes back. While the 10-episode order may be a bit disappointing, it’s definitely better than no episodes at all. In the meantime, fans can rewatch all 19 seasons on Netflix, which will surely keep people busy until the medical drama returns.