ABC Harper Avery arrives at Grey Sloan, putting Bailey on edge. A familiar face from Meredith's past returns as a patient, and Amelia tries to manage a secret, on "Grey's Anatomy," THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC.
Grey’s Anatomy is one of the top shows on television these days. The drama is now in its fifteenth season, but many fans are wondering when it’s coming to a close.
According to a recent Deadline article, it seems likely the show will be renewed. President of ABC Entertainment, Karey Burke, discussed the future of the medical drama, saying, “We’re thrilled with Grey’s performance; I was visiting the set earlier this week. I believe the status is that we’re in conversations about continuing the show,” she said.
Of course, Kathy’s comments don’t mean the show is 100% coming back, and interestingly enough, her comments seem to contradict those of Ellen Pompeo, herself.
Last September, Pompeo hinted that the show would end with the sixteenth season. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actress said, “I’m clearly not prepared right now to make any formal announcement about what my future is on the show, but I am really feeling like we have told the majority of the stories that we can tell… It’s about time that I mix it up. I’m definitely looking for a change.”
Deadline also pointed out that Pompeo’s current contract runs through season 16, which will wrap in 2020.
At the time, Pompeo told Grey’s, “I’d love to direct a pilot. I really like producing, that’s really challenging for me… I think I’ve had an amazing training. I’ve had a Master Class in producing these last 14 years. I know every aspect of making a television show. Producing and directing is where I’m challenged and where I’m learning. It’s more interesting to me because it’s a skill I haven’t mastered yet.”
When the show does come to end, it seems Shonda Rhimes, who created the series and passed showrunning off to Krista Vernoff, will return to pen the final episode. Rhimes tells EW, “I have written the end of the show at least six times… But we just don’t end. Every time I thought, ‘This is how the show should end,’ we’ve gone past those moments, so I’ve stopped trying. I have no idea now.”
For now, Grey’s seems to be on a roll. In January, an additional three episodes of the show were ordered, bringing the drama’s season to a total of 25 episodes.
The show is ABC’s No. 1 TV drama; it averages 3.1 adults in the 18-49 demographic. For now, we’ll have to wait to find out if Grey’s Anatomy will continue beyond its 16th season.