Grey's Anatomy Just Made TV History With Season 23 Renewal

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Well, we’re still not living in the alternate reality where Grey's Anatomy goes off the air. That's right: ABC just keeps the O.G. hospital drama on the primetime life support machine, and honestly, these folks have better job security than most actual surgeons. If you can believe it, Grey's is gearing up for its 23rd season this fall—which means yes, it's been around since the Bush administration. For now, the most recent batch of scalpel-wielding shenanigans carries on through May, with Season 22 wrapping up soon.

Who's Scrubbing Back In—and Who Isn't

Here's your annual checklist: Ellen Pompeo is back as Meredith Grey. Sort of. Pompeo isn’t clocking in for every shift anymore (she took a step back starting a few seasons ago because, well, she can), but she’s still narrating, pulling some strings as executive producer, and popping in for guest spots. The OG squad also includes Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey, basically runs the hospital), and James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber, senior surgeon and walking plot anchor).

The 'still here for now' category: Camilla Luddington (Jo Wilson), Caterina Scorsone (Amelia Shepherd), and Jason George (Ben Warren) are all squeezing back into their scrubs, too.

But it wouldn’t be Grey’s without a dramatic good-bye (or five), and this time, it’s Kim Raver (Teddy Altman) and Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt) getting paged out of the show. Both actors are bowing out after the Season 22 finale on May 7. According to ABC, this was a creative call, not some backroom contract mess—it sounds almost suspiciously amicable, but that’s what we’re told. For anyone keeping score: Raver jumped on board in season 5, McKidd in season 6. The show’s creator Shonda Rhimes summed up the exit with this little quote:

It is both bittersweet and joyful to give this couple the happy ending their story deserves.

Does Grey’s Anatomy Still Matter?

Here’s the part that honestly shocks me: Yes, it does. Grey's Anatomy was the most streamed series on both Disney+ and Hulu last year. Only Bluey—that adorable animated dog show for kids—had more streams in all of television (seriously). If nothing else, the show is a streaming juggernaut, pulling in viewers who were barely alive when the hospital first opened its doors.

Point is, Grey's has always churned through cast faster than some folks go through coffee, and that rotating door has actually helped keep things weirdly watchable. It launched a few careers along the way, too: folks like Katherine Heigl, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, and Sandra Oh all got a bump from their time in scrubs.

Awards, Reviews, and Other Useful Trivia

• 39 Emmy nominations
• 5 wins, including Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Katherine Heigl in 2007
• Season 22 is getting a pretty warm welcome from critics—a little more sizzle, a little less snooze, if you believe the reviews

So that’s where things stand at Grey Sloan Memorial: More new faces, more good-byes, and more twists than a trauma unit on double-shift. No matter how much you think it should have ended years ago, people just… keep watching. (You know who you are.)

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