Grey's Anatomy Getting Canceled By ABC Is Unlikely, But It Still Needs To Do Better
With some network TV shows already being officially renewed, questions arise on whether Grey's Anatomy will too or suffer cancelation after all these years – but while that’s unlikely to happen, it needs to do better. Rumors about Grey’s Anatomy’s impending end have been going around for years, as it’s bound for long-running TV shows, especially of Grey’s Anatomy’s standing. The TV show became the longest-running primetime medical drama in the US with its 20th season, while also holding the crown for longest-running scripted primetime show currently airing on ABC, making it an immensely important TV show for the network.
Grey’s Anatomy has been as popular as it was critical acclaimed, being nominated for various awards through the years, including multiple times at the Emmys and the SAG Awards, even winning at the 2007 Golden Globes as Best Television Series – Drama. Its popularity is easy to believe, not only noticing its earlier seasons’ ratings, but also thinking about its role in pop culture, and how Grey’s Anatomy became synonymous with killing off its main characters. However, as it goes on and most of its original characters have partially or completely moved on, it’s easy to wonder when it'll end.
Grey's Anatomy Season 21 Cancelation Rumors Explained
Grey’s Anatomy persisting despite its lower-than-before ratings lets rumors about its impending cancellation arise cyclically. Indeed, it’s reasonable to think that the medical drama’s end is closer than it’s ever been given its longevity, but that reality may still be far enough. The rumors about Grey’s Anatomy’s end tend to present themselves again especially ahead of that time of the year the fate of various network TV shows starts being announced, with the worry creeping in for fans of the medical drama that the time may have come for their favorite show.
The fans’ worries are not entirely misplaced, as the Grey’s Anatomy episodes with the highest viewership ratings are in its past, with Grey’s Anatomy seasons 2 and 3 holding all the positions in the top 10 of the medical drama’s most-watched episodes. However, much changed in television in the past 20 years, as Bailey’s Chandra Wilson highlighted perfectly in The Hollywood Reporter’s exclusive on Grey’s Anatomy’s legacy, saying Grey’s Anatomy rode “a few technology waves”: from having to be in front of the TV on Sunday nights, to going from VHS to DVD, watching by DVR, binge-watching and social media.
With only Miranda Bailey and Richard Webber as original Grey’s Anatomy characters still at the center of the medical drama, it’s easy to worry the TV show might end soon.
Rumors about Grey’s Anatomy’s impending ending also tend to flare up when major characters leave the show, and there’s been a few of those in the past five years, like Kelly McCreary exiting in Grey’s Anatomy season 19 a few episodes after Ellen Pompeo’s last Grey’s Anatomy episode as a series regular. With only Miranda Bailey and Richard Webber as original Grey’s Anatomy characters still at the center of the medical drama, it’s easy to worry the TV show might end soon. However, Grey’s Anatomy has also proved it can successfully introduce new characters in the ensemble through the years.
Why ABC Is Highly Unlikely To Cancel Grey's Anatomy
The Medical Drama Is Still Incredibly Successful, Despite Its Lower Ratings
Debbie Allen as Catherine Fox, Midori Francis as Mika Yasuda, Harry Shum Jr. as Benson Blue Kwan, Niko Terho as Lucas Adams, Alexis Floyd as Simone Griffith and Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey in Grey's Anatomy season 20 episode 10
While Grey’s Anatomy’s ratings aren’t as high as before, it’s highly unlikely ABC will cancel it in 2024. Its being a flagship show for ABC, incredibly successful that it has given the network so much, makes it unlikely for it to meet its end soon, especially comparing Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s total viewership to the other ABC shows. Indeed, while other TV shows like newcomers High Potential and Doctor Odyssey outperform it, along with 9-1-1, Grey’s Anatomy still has a total viewership of 4 million. In addition, the medical drama is the second-most popular streaming show of 2024 behind Bluey.
Following the news of Grey’s Anatomy’s 2024 streaming success, producer Betsy Beers revealed herself confident about Grey’s Anatomy’s future, saying it can “continue on for some time” after season 21. During the panel, Beers credited Grey’s Anatomy’s setting for its ability to continue with relative ease. Indeed, between Grey’s Anatomy following doctors and medicine always changing to it being a situation where “people leave, and people come back, and new people come in,” the medical drama makes it easy to introduce “new personalities, new conflicts.” Coupling this with Grey’s Anatomy’s success makes it difficult for ABC to cancel it now.
Grey's Anatomy Can Continue As Long As ABC Wants It
The Medical Drama’s Success Proved It Can Go On For Long
Grey’s Anatomy essentially being one of ABC’s most successful shows whether considering its live or on-demand audience gives it the chance to air for as long as ABC wants it to. News about Grey’s Anatomy season 21 having its main cast appear in fewer episodes than previous seasons show that cuts were already made to make Grey’s Anatomy more financially viable, something much more difficult with TV-shows the more they progress. Grey’s Anatomy’s longevity thus makes it extremely important for the show to save where it can, but its storylines should also reflect the show’s need to do better.
Grey’s Anatomy has already seen major changes in the way its characters’ stories are told in a bid to reduce wastefulness and still capitalize on the medical drama’s success.
Grey’s Anatomy season 19 having major exits made the rest of the season and season 20 feel particularly out of sync with Grey’s Anatomy as a whole, especially with Meredith returning every now and then and taking center stage when the main stories weren’t about her anymore. It’s unlikely Grey’s Anatomy will move on from Meredith Grey completely given the statements repeatedly made by the medical drama’s producers and Ellen Pompeo being a producer herself, but Grey’s Anatomy focusing more on the new cast could help make the story feel more organic and less dependent on Meredith.
When & How Should Grey's Anatomy End
Meredith’s Story Is Still Important For Grey’s Anatomy’s End
Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Giving a Close Lipped Smile in Grey's Anatomy
It's difficult to decide when a TV show should end. Various popular TV shows were viewed as getting worse as they continued and Grey’s Anatomy itself could have already ended multiple times in its 21-year run. However, while it could be argued Grey’s Anatomy lost part of its charm with the departure of the original cast, it also regained it at times, giving new life to Meredith after Derek’s death, building her up focusing on her alone instead of one half of the most popular couple in the show.
Even the new group of interns infused Grey’s Anatomy season 19 with newness that mirrored the best parts of the original intern class, making it difficult to decide when Grey’s Anatomy should end ex ante. However, whenever the time comes for Grey’s Anatomy to end, it should bring things full circle by having Meredith play a hand in curing Alzheimer’s, after she began losing her mother to it with the start of the medical drama. This could make Grey’s Anatomy end perfectly, giving center stage to the ensemble cast while also paying its respects to one of Meredith’s key stories.
Grey’s Anatomy returns to ABC at 10pm on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, TV Line, Deadline
