'Grey's Anatomy' Renewed for Historic 21st Season
The Grey's Anatomy doctors will see you now... and again next season!
On Tuesday, ABC announced that the hit medical drama has been renewed for season 21, just three episodes into the show's groundbreaking 20th season. The series -- often credited with launching the careers of A-list actors like Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey and Katherine Heigl -- is projected to air its 21st season come fall 2024 and wrap up in spring 2025, a full 20 years after its premiere in March 2005.
"Push (twenty) one of epi! 😉 #GreysAnatomy will be coming back for another season on ABC! Stream on Hulu," the official Instagram account of the long-running series posted Tuesday afternoon.
In a statement to ET, series creator Shonda Rhimes thanked Grey's Anatomy fans for their continued support, saying it's only because of them that the cast and crew will get to return to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital for another season.
'Grey's Anatomy' promo photo from season 1
"The loyalty and love of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ fans has propelled us into a historic 21st season, and I could not be more grateful," Rhimes said.
To date, the show is the longest-running primetime medical drama in television history -- a feat it accomplished in 2019 -- and consistently is regarded as the most social scripted series on broadcast TV. Rhimes, who also has created a slate of other shows for ABC including How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal, said she is just as excited as the fans to see what the writers bring to the table for the newly announced season.
"Meg Marinis' storytelling is a gift that continues to keep the show vibrant, compelling and alive, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for next season," the Shondaland creator wrote.
Shonda Rhimes with the cast of 'Grey's Anatomy'
Just last week, Rhimes -- who served as showrunner on the series until 2015 -- took to her own social media pages to share just how powerful and prolific the show is to this day as one of her own daughters had just started watching Grey's.
"My not so tiny human started watching @greysabc for the first time yesterday. My brain is breaking. 🤯 I am dead. DEAD. But so glad she's getting to see the women her mom created. #GreysAnatomy," Rhimes wrote.
In February, ET reported that the show's creators and writers had lined up a slew of new and returning actors to commemorate the show's 20th season, including fan favorite Dr. Arizona Robbins, played by Jessica Capshaw. The actress, 47, left the show at the end of season 14 but announced in March that she would finally be back on the small screen as the pediatric and OBGYN surgeon come April 4.
In a recently released logline for the upcoming episode, ABC says that it is a "particularly complicated case" that brings Capshaw's character back to Grey Sloan for a visit to her old stomping grounds. Preview photos from the episode show Dr. Robbins interacting with Chandra Wilson's Dr. Miranda Bailey -- one of the only original characters still on the show -- as well as Dr. Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) and the new crop of interns.
Chandra Wilson and Jessica Capshaw in a still from season 21 of 'Grey's Anatomy'
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. and the next day on Hulu. All 20 seasons are streaming on the Disney-owned platform as well, for the first time.
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