Grey's Anatomy
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. The series premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement and has been renewed annually for two decades. Its title is a mixture of the protagonist's surname and the name of the classic human anatomy textbook Gray's Anatomy. Writer Shonda Rhimes developed the pilot and served as showrunner, head writer, and executive producer until stepping down in 2015. 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, chronicling her progression from surgical intern to fully-qualified doctor. 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. In April 2025, ABC announced the show was renewed for a 22nd season. Grey's Anatomy had two spin-off series: Private Practice and Station 19.
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, Oh, and Dempsey, to worldwide recognition; they were among the five highest-earning television actors in 2013. Once among the overall top 10 shows in the United States, the show's ratings have fallen, although as of 2017 it was still one of the highest-rated shows among the 18–49 demographic. The show also does well on streaming television; as of 2023, 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 2 for Outstanding Drama Series. The cast members have also received accolades for their individual performances.
Plot
The series follows the life of Meredith Grey, the daughter of world renowned general surgeon Ellis Grey, starting from her acceptance into the surgical residency program at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital. During her time as an intern, Grey works alongside fellow physicians Cristina Yang, Izzie Stevens, Alex Karev and George O'Malley, who each struggle to balance their personal lives with hectic schedules and stressful residency requirements. During their internship, they are overseen by Miranda Bailey, a senior resident, who works with attending physicians Derek Shepherd, head of neurosurgery and Meredith's love interest, and Preston Burke, head of cardiothoracic surgery and Yang's eventual fiancé. Richard Webber, 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.In addition to Webber, Burke, and Shepherd, the surgical wing is primarily supervised by Addison Montgomery, 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, head of plastic surgery and also certified in ENT surgery; Callie Torres, a resident who later becomes head of orthopedic surgery and leaves Seattle for New York at the end of Season 12; Erica Hahn, as head of cardiothoracic surgery and Burke's replacement, who leaves Seattle Grace in Season 5 after a disagreement with Torres; Owen Hunt, as head of trauma surgery who later marries and divorces Yang; Arizona Robbins, as head of pediatric surgery, and later head of maternal/fetal surgery who marries Torres; Teddy Altman, as head of cardiothoracic surgery who departs at the end of Season 8 but returns in Season 14, later marrying Hunt; and Amelia Shepherd, Derek's sister, who is hired to replace him as head of neurosurgery.
Lexie Grey, Meredith's paternal half-sister, joins the residency program in season 4 until her death with her love interest 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 and Jackson Avery join Seattle Grace following a hospital merger in Season 6. Other additions include Leah Murphy, who departs at the end of Season 10 but returns during Season 13; Shane Ross, who leaves with Yang to work in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Season 10 finale; Stephanie Edwards, who resigns at the end of Season 13; Jo Wilson, who has a tumultuous romantic relationship with Karev; Andrew DeLuca, the former love interest of Meredith's maternal half-sister Maggie Pierce who also served as head of cardiothoracic surgery; and Ben Warren, an anesthesiologist-turned resident-turned firefighter who marries Bailey.
Season 11 sees the deeply impactful death of Derek Shepherd. In Season 12, attending cardiovascular surgeon Nathan Riggs joins the show, and later briefly becomes Meredith's love interest. In the early episodes of Season 14, Tom Koracick, an attending neurosurgeon, begins making appearances and Riggs leaves the series to start a life with Owen's long-lost sister Megan ; by the season finale, Robbins, Kepner and Warren also depart the show, with Warren joining the fire department featured on Station 19 before returning after the end of that series.
Midway through Season 16, Cormac Hayes becomes the new chief of pediatric surgery as Karev departs to reunite with Stevens. During Season 17, 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 Ireland, Hunt and Altman flee the country, transplant surgeon Nick Marsh, a patient of Meredith's turned love interest, returns to Minnesota, and Bailey resigns as Chief of Surgery, leaving Meredith to take over the role.
In Season 19, new interns Simone Griffith, Benson "Blue" Kwan, Jules Millin, Mika Yasuda and Lucas Adams, Derek and Amelia's nephew, join the program; Meredith moves to Boston, reducing her role at Grey Sloan while she works on a cure for Alzheimer's disease, and Pierce departs to further her own career in 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. After a traumatic car accident in Season 21, Yasuda departs from the program. The rest of her class become residents with their own interns to teach in Season 22, including Griffith's one-night stand Wes Bryant.
Series synopsis
Grey's Anatomy chronicles the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings at the fictional Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, as the interns progressively evolve into seasoned doctors under the guidance of their residents, attendings, and the chief of surgery.Each episode usually opens with a voice-over narration from Meredith Grey or another season regular, often foreshadowing the episode's theme. Most seasons typically mirror the physicians' academic year, with each completed year elevating the residents to a higher level in the surgical field. The season finale often culminates in a dramatic event, such as a character's death or departure.
The series focuses on the doctors' professional lives as surgeons, but also gives significant attention to their personal lives. Character development and relationships frequently take precedence over medical ethics concerns. While the physicians perform intricate surgeries and treat their patients' illnesses, they also exhibit a competitive drive and seek recognition.
Upon arrival at the hospital each morning, residents may compete over who gets assigned a challenging case, often generating tension. A hospital superior typically assigns cases, further intensifying the dynamic between residents and their superiors. Episodes shift between the doctors' interactions with patients and their personal dynamics with colleagues. Once assigned a case, each doctor works to diagnose the patient, typically with the support of an attending physician, which usually results in surgery. Each episode typically features scenes of a surgery towards the center of the episode.
The show often portrays the doctors forming personal connections with their patients, with many cases indirectly reflecting the doctors' own personal struggles. One notable instance is Izzie Stevens' entanglement with her patient, Denny Duquette, in Season 2. Relationships between the doctors, whether romantic or platonic, frequently develop and create conflicts between their personal and professional lives.
Emotional moments are often underscored by an indie rock soundtrack, with "songtages" – tracks that run through a montage of scenes, connecting storylines with poignant lyrics – becoming a hallmark of the series. Each episode concludes with a voice-over, generally providing contrast or a follow-up to the initial narration.