“Grey’s Anatomy,” was first released in 2005 and has been an insanely popular show for years. With medical mysteries and freak accidents galore it has captivated audiences for over 17 years. The show has featured some incredible actors and actresses and has had audiences in the palm of their hands with plot twists and turns.
Some may call the show extremely unrealistic, which it is, but it nails the entertainment aspect. Once you start watching the series, it is hard to stop. There are seemingly infinite directions the plot can go in, which is what has helped the show flourish even after all this time.
Even so, “Grey’s Anatomy” is now on season 19, making it the longest-running medical drama TV show and the sixth longest-running primetime show ever. The show still seems to rack up the views nonetheless. Season 18 averaged over 4 million views per episode, while season 19 so far has had well over 3 million views per episode so far.
It can be assumed that with the amount of viewers still active this is the reason ABC continues to renew. But plot-wise the episodes are starting to seem stale and the show itself is starting to drag on. By risking the continuation of the show its legacy could become more about the show that dragged on for one season too many rather than a cult-classic of the early 21st century.
Audiences have indeed noticed and disliked that in the past few seasons, the show has become less medical-plot oriented and has become slightly more preachy on social issues. The way the show has approached social issues has been seen as a flop because, instead of approaching it subtly and in a way that is more believable it comes off as off-topic and forced.
“I think I’d like to see things happen a little more subtly and over time,” Ellen Pompeo, “Grey’s Anatomy” star, said to People Magazine.
She has also been vocal about wanting the show to end. Coming from the lead actress, this says a lot about the current state of the show. This current season only features Pompeo as Meredith Grey in eight episodes. Pompeo has reportedly decided to focus most of her time elsewhere for now.
Shonda Rhimes, the creator of “Grey’s Anatomy,” has spoken about the show’s ending this past month to People Magazine. She said that she originally had many possible endings planned, but the show kept going on so those endings are no longer relevant. Rhimes basically says that, at this time, there is no foreseeable ending.
Only time will tell if “Grey’s Anatomy” is destined to persevere or if it is finally closing time for the nearly two-decade-old show.
