'Grey's Anatomy' May Never End (No, Really)
Quick, name all of the new interns on Grey's Anatomy. Got 'em? God bless. You're the reason the show is still on the air.
Speaking with E! News, creator Shonda Rhimes said that the series, which is currently in its 19th season, will go on for as long as its huge and dedicated fanbase want it to. "[The show] belongs to the fans and the fans have been really clear about what they want," she said. "I might be a very old lady by the time we reach its last season because it doesn't seem to be stopping."
Not too long ago, the thinking seemed to be that the series would end when Ellen Pompeo, who plays Meredith Grey, decided she'd had enough. “Shonda and I have both said that when I’m ready to stop, we’re going to stop the show,” Pompeo told Variety in 2017. “The story is about Meredith Grey’s journey and when I’m done, the show will end.”
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But after nearly two decades and 400-plus episodes, Pompeo said goodbye to Grey Sloan Memorial in February 2023 (at least for now; she'll appear in the Season 19 finale on May 19)—and yet the show still marches on.
"Ellen's an amazing person and she and I have been having conversations the whole time, discussing when it was time and what it was feeling like," Rhimes told E! News of her leading lady's exit. "We've always been having those discussions because I've always wanted her to be excited and invested and enjoying herself as much as she was at the beginning."
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Rhimes added that it doesn't feel like Pompeo is really gone anyway, since the actress will continue to contribute voiceovers and the door is always open for her character to return.
"It's such an amazing show and it's doing so well as it's moving forward," Rhimes said. "I'm going to leave it alone and see where it goes, and we're going to stay a show as long as everybody wants to be there and as long as the fans want to be there."
And for viewers who feel like the series is on life support but they can't quit it because they've come this far? Remember the good old days and dance it out.