Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into seasoned doctors while balancing personal and professional relationships. The title is an allusion to Gray's Anatomy, a classic human anatomy textbook first published in 1858 in London and written by Henry Gray. Shonda Rhimes developed the pilot and continued to write for the series until 2015. Krista Vernoff, who previously worked with Rhimes, is now the showrunner. Rhimes was also one of the executive producers alongside Betsy Beers, Mark Gordon, Krista Vernoff, Rob Corn, Mark Wilding, and Allan Heinberg, and recently, Ellen Pompeo. Although the series is set in Seattle, Washington, it is filmed primarily in Los Angeles, California.
The series revolves around Dr. Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo. Grey is first featured as an intern and later becomes the chief of general surgery, all the while exploring the ups and downs of a surgeon's life. The original cast consisted of nine star-billed actors: Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, T. R. Knight, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Isaiah Washington, and Patrick Dempsey. The cast has undergone major changes throughout the series' run. At the start of the 18th season, the show had a large ensemble of 13 actors—including three from the original cast (Pompeo, Wilson, and Pickens).
Grey's Anatomy is the longest-running scripted primetime show currently airing on ABC, and the longest scripted primetime series carried by ABC. Its success catapulted longtime series regulars including Pompeo, Dempsey, and Oh to worldwide recognition; they were among the top five highest-earning television actors in 2013. While the show's ratings have fallen over the course of its run (it was once among the overall top-ten shows in the United States), it is still one of the highest-rated shows among the 18–49 demographic, and the #3 drama on all of broadcast television in the United States. The series was the highest revenue-earning show on television in terms of advertising in the 2007–08 season; in 2017, it was ranked tenth on the list. In its fifteenth season, Grey's Anatomy ranked as ABC's highest-rated drama. As of February 28, 2019, it was the longest-running American primetime medical drama series. On May 10, 2019, the series was renewed for a 16th and 17th season. The 16th season premiered on September 26, 2019. The 17th season premiered on November 12, 2020, about two months later than usual, due to production delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 10, 2021, the series was renewed for an 18th season, with Pompeo, Wilson, and Pickens all returning. The 18th season premiered on September 30, 2021. In January 2022, the series was renewed for a nineteenth season, with Pompeo agreeing to return. The show now has a spin-off series named Station 19.
Grey's Anatomy has been well received by critics throughout much of its run and has been included in various critics' year-end top 10 lists. Since its inception, the show has been described by the media outlets as a television "phenomenon" or a "juggernaut", owing to its longevity and dominant ratings. It is considered to have had a significant effect on popular culture and has received numerous awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama and a total of 38 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including two for Outstanding Drama Series. The cast members have also received accolades for their individual performances.
Cast and characters[]
- Ellen Pompeo - Meredith Grey
- Sandra Oh - Cristina Yang
- Katherine Heigl - Izzie Stevens
- Justin Chambers - Alex Karev
- T. R. Knight - George O'Malley
- Chandra Wilson - Miranda Bailey
- James Pickens Jr. - Richard Webber
- Isaiah Washington - Preston Burke
- Patrick Dempsey - Derek Shepherd
- Kate Walsh - Addison Montgomery
- Sara Ramirez - Callie Torres
- Eric Dane - Mark Sloan
- Chyler Leigh - Lexie Grey
- Brooke Smith - Erica Hahn
- Kevin McKidd - Owen Hunt
- Jessica Capshaw - Arizona Robbins
- Kim Raver - Teddy Altman
- Sarah Drew - April Kepner
- Jesse Williams - Jackson Avery
- Camilla Luddington - Jo Wilson
- Gaius Charles - Shane Ross
- Jerrika Hinton - Stephanie Edwards
- Tessa Ferrer - Leah Murphy
- Caterina Scorsone - Amelia Shepherd
- Kelly McCreary - Maggie Pierce
- Jason George - Benjamin Warren
- Martin Henderson - Nathan Riggs
- Giacomo Gianniotti - Andrew DeLuca
- Greg Germann - Thomas Koracick
- Jake Borelli - Levi Schmitt
- Chris Carmack - Atticus Lincoln
- Richard Flood - Cormac Hayes
- Anthony Hill - Winston Ndugu
- Scott Speedman - Nick Marsh
International versions[]
| Country | Name | Network |
|---|---|---|
| Colombia | A corazón abierto | RCN Televisión |
| Mexico | A corazón abierto | Azteca Trece |
| Turkey | Doktorlar | Show TV |
International broadcast[]
| Country | Network(s) | Local title |
|---|---|---|
| United States | ABC, Lifetime, Hulu | Grey's Anatomy |
| International | Netflix, Disney+ | |
| Asia | Fox Life, Sony Channel, BeTV | |
| Australia | Seven Network | |
| Austria | ORF eins | |
| Belgium | RTL-TVI, VIJF, Play7 | |
| Canada (English) | CTV | |
| France | TF1, TFX, TF1 Séries Films, Canal+ Séries, Canal+ | |
| Germany | Primetime, ProSieben, ProSieben Fun, Disney+ | |
| Ghana | Viasat 1 | |
| Hong Kong | ATV World, ViuTVsix | |
| Iceland | Stöð 2 | |
| India | Star World (Seasons 1-6), Zee Café | |
| Ireland | RTÉ One | |
| Italy | Fox Life, Fox, Italia 1, La7 | |
| Netherlands | Net5 | |
| New Zealand | TV2 | |
| Norway | TV 2, TV 2 Livsstil | |
| Pakistan | Star World, ARY Zauq, ARY Digital, ARY Zindagi, TV One Pakistan | |
| Philippines | Studio 23 | |
| South Africa | M-Net | |
| Switzerland | SRF zwei, RTS, RSI LA1 | |
| Turkey | DiziMax, Fox | |
| United Kingdom | Channel 5, Sky Living, Sky Witness | |
| Latin America | Sony Entertainment Television | Anatomía según Grey |
| Costa Rica | Teletica | |
| Cuba | Cubavision | |
| Ecuador | Teleamazonas | |
| Guatemala | Azteca Guatemala | |
| Honduras | Telesistema 3 | |
| Panama | RPC TV | |
| Puerto Rico | WAPA-TV | |
| Venezuela | Televen | |
| Croatia | Nova TV, RTL | Uvod u anatomiju |
| Serbia | Fox Life, B92, Diva, Prva Plus | |
| Brazil | Sony Channel, SBT | A Anatomia de Grey |
| Bulgaria | bTV, Fox Life, TV7 | Анатомията на Грей |
| Canada (French) | Ici Radio-Canada Télé, Ici ARTV | Dre Grey, leçons d'anatomie |
| Denmark | Kanal 4, Disney+ | Greys hvide verden |
| Estonia | TV3 | Grey anatoomia |
| Finland | Nelonen | Greyn anatomia |
| Greece | ANT1, Makedonia TV, Alter Channel, Skai TV, Alpha TV | Μαθήματα Ανατομίας |
| Hungary | RTL Klub, Cool TV, FEM3, Fox, PRIME, TV4, Story4 | A Grace klinika |
| Israel | yes Drama, HOT 3, Cellcom TV, Partner TV | האנטומיה של גריי |
| Japan | WOWOW, AXN, Dlife | グレイズ・アナトミー 恋の解剖学 |
| Poland | Polsat, Fox Life, Fox, TVN 7, TVN Fabuła, Super Polsat, Polsat Seriale, Polsat 2, Polsat Rodzina, Polsat Café, Nowa TV | Chirurdzy |
| Portugal | Fox Life, RTP2 | Anatomia de Grey |
| Romania | TVR1, Diva | Anatomia lui Grey |
| Russia | STS, Fox Life, Sony Entertainment Television | Анатомия страсти |
| Slovakia | STV | Klinika Grace |
| South Korea | KBS2, Channel CGV | 그레이 아나토미 |
| Spain | Cuatro, Fox, Cosmopolitan TV, Divinity | Anatomía de Grey |
| Taiwan | PTS | 實習醫生格蕾 |
| Ukraine | ICTV, STB | Анатомія Грей |