A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| Grey's Anatomy | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | |
| Created by | Shonda Rhimes |
| Showrunners |
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| Starring | List of cast members |
| Narrated by | Ellen Pompeo and various others |
| Theme music composer | Psapp |
| Opening theme | "Cosy in the Rocket" (seasons 1–3, 7, 14) |
| Ending theme | "Cosy in the Rocket" (instrumental) |
| Composer | Danny Lux |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 20 |
| No. of episodes | 430 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Editors |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 43–53 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | March 27, 2005 – present |
| Related | |
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, later named the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The series premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The show's title is an allusion to Gray's Anatomy, a classic human anatomy textbook.[1] Writer Shonda Rhimes developed the pilot and served as showrunner, head writer, and executive producer until stepping down in 2015.[2][better source needed] Set in Seattle, Washington, the series is filmed primarily in Los Angeles, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia.
The original cast consisted of nine star-billed actors: Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, T. R. Knight, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Isaiah Washington, and Patrick Dempsey. For most of its run, the series revolves around Dr. Meredith Grey (Pompeo), chronicling her progression from surgical intern to fully-qualified doctor to the hospital's chief of general surgery. The cast has undergone major changes throughout the series' run, with only three original members remaining by the 19th season – Pompeo, Wilson, and Pickens. Pompeo stepped back from the series in its 19th season, at which point the show shifted to more of an ensemble format. ABC announced it had been renewed for a twenty-first season in April 2024. Grey's Anatomy has two spin-off series: Private Practice (2007–2013) and Station 19 (2018–2024). Other shows which may parallel in plotline and medical dramatics would be programs like ER, which ran from 1994 to 2009, overlapping early seasons of Grey's Anatomy.
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 many series regulars, including Pompeo and Oh, to worldwide recognition; they were among the top five highest-earning television actors in 2013.[3][4] Once among the overall top-ten shows in the United States, the show's ratings have fallen, although as of 2017[update] it was still one of the highest-rated shows among the 18–49 demographic.[5] The show also does well on streaming television; as of February 2023[update], Grey's Anatomy was ranked the 10th most popular on-demand program.
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.
Plot
The series follows the life of Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), the daughter of world renowned general surgeon Ellis Grey (Kate Burton), starting from her acceptance into the surgical residency program at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital (later named Seattle Grace Mercy West and finally, Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital). During her time as an intern, Grey works alongside fellow physicians Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) and George O'Malley (T. R. Knight), who each struggle to balance their personal lives with hectic schedules and stressful residency requirements. During their internship, they are overseen by Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), a senior resident, who works with attending physicians Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), head of neurosurgery and who also happens to be Meredith's love interest, and Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington), head of cardiothoracic surgery, who becomes Yang's fiancé. Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.), Chief of Surgery and attending general surgeon, is the former lover of Ellis Grey. During the first six seasons, Burke, O'Malley, and Stevens all depart the series.
The series also shows drama and emotions focused on Meredith's life. In addition to Webber, Burke, and Shepherd, the surgical wing is primarily supervised by Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), Shepherd's ex-wife and the head of OB/GYN, neonatal and fetal surgery who leaves for Los Angeles at the end of season 3; Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), head of plastic surgery and also certified in ENT surgery; Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez), a resident who later becomes head of orthopedic surgery and leaves Seattle for New York at the end of the 12th season; Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith), as head of cardiothoracic surgery, who leaves Seattle Grace in season 5 after a disagreement with Torres; Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), as head of trauma surgery who later marries and divorces Yang; Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), as head of pediatric surgery, and later head of maternal / fetal surgery who marries Torres; Teddy Altman (Kim Raver), as head of cardiothoracic surgery who departs at the end of season 8 but returns in season 14; and Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), Derek's sister, who is hired to replace him as head of neurosurgery.
Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh), Meredith's paternal half-sister, joins the residency program in season 4 until her death with her love interest Mark Sloan in a plane crash at the end of season 8, after which Seattle Grace is renamed Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in their memory. Former Mercy-West residents April Kepner (Sarah Drew) and Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) join Seattle Grace following a hospital merger in season 6. Other additions include Leah Murphy (Tessa Ferrer), who departs at the end of season 10 but returns during season 13; Shane Ross (Gaius Charles), who leaves with Yang for Zürich, Switzerland, in the season 10 finale; Stephanie Edwards (Jerrika Hinton), who resigns at the end of season 13; Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington), who marries Karev; Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti), the former love interest of Meredith's maternal half sister Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) who also served as head of cardiothoracic surgery; and Ben Warren (Jason George), an anesthesiologist-turned resident-turned firefighter[6] who marries Bailey. Season 11 sees the death of Derek Shepherd, and in season 12, attending cardiovascular surgeon Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson) joins the show, and later briefly becomes Meredith's love interest. In the early episodes of season 14, Thomas Koracick (Greg Germann), an attending neurosurgeon, begins making appearances and Riggs leaves the series to start a life with Owen's long-lost sister Megan (Abigail Spencer); by the season finale, Robbins, Kepner and Warren also depart the show. Midway through the 16th season, Cormac Hayes (Richard Flood) becomes the new chief of pediatric surgery and Karev departs to reunite with Stevens. During the 17th season, DeLuca is stabbed while chasing a child abductor/ human trafficker and despite the efforts of Hunt and Altman, he dies. Avery and Koracick also depart in season 17, with Avery moving to Boston to take over his family's charitable foundation and Koracick leaving to assist him. In Season 18, Hayes moves back to his home country, Hunt and Altman flee the country, Marsh returns to Minnesota, Webber and Fox go on sabbatical, and Bailey resigns as chief of surgery, leaving Grey as chief of surgery. In Season 19, new interns Simone Griffith (Alexis Floyd), Benson "Blue" Kwan (Harry Shum Jr.), Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane), Mika Yasuda (Midori Francis) and Lucas Adams (Niko Terho), Derek and Amelia's nephew, join the program; Meredith moves to Boston and Pierce departs to move to Chicago. In Season 20, Marsh resigns from his role as Residency Director and moves to Boston with Meredith; leaving Bailey to be the new Residency Director.
Series synopsis
Grey's Anatomy follows the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings at the fictional Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital (formerly Seattle Grace Hospital, Season 1–6, Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital, Season 6–9, and then Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, Season 9–present), as the interns gradually develop into seasoned doctors through the mentoring of their residents, attendings, and chiefs of surgery. Each installment typically begins with a voice-over narrative from Meredith Grey or a season regular, foreshadowing the theme of the episode.[7][8] Each season tends to represent the physicians' academic year, with each completed year qualifying the residents at a level higher in the surgical field.[9] The season typically ends with a dramatic event such as a death or character departure.[10] Most installments revolve around the doctors' everyday lives as surgeons, but the show also emphasizes their personal lives.[7] The series often sets aside medical ethics concerns in order to foreground character development and relationships. While the physicians treat the illnesses of their patients, often through complex surgeries, they also display a competitive spirit and seek praise.[11]
After arriving at the hospital each morning, residents may argue over who gets the challenge of a certain patient who has arrived that day.[12] A hospital superior assigns cases, often generating tension between the residents and their superiors.[13] Within each episode, there are shifts from the doctors interacting with their patients, to scenes with their co-workers. Once assigned a case, each doctor diagnoses the patient, with the help of his or her attending physician, which usually leads to surgery.[14] The surgeons tend to form personal connections with their patients, with a patient often conveying a message to his or her doctor, which unintentionally relates to the doctor's private life. One doctor, Isabel Stevens, even ends up engaged to her patient, Denny Duquette, in season 2.[15] The show displays the growth of relationships between the doctors, either friendly or romantic, which may produce conflicts between their personal and professional lives. Emotional scenes are often accompanied by an indie rock background song, something that has become a hallmark of the series.[16] At the conclusion of each episode, one of the characters delivers another voiceover, typically contrasting or following up on the initial one.[8]
Cast, characters, and appearance period
Cast table
This section includes characters who have appeared in the series as credited cast.
- An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the season.
- D indicates that the character appeared with the use of a body double replacing the credited actor.
- Legend
- = Main cast (credited)
- = Recurring cast (3+)
- = Guest cast (1–2)