Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 was the center of a release update as fans wait to return to Seattle Grace Hospital.
With an astonishing 420 episodes already under its belt since its debut in 2005, Grey’s Anatomy stands as the longest-running medical drama in TV history, and it was renewed for its 20th season in February 2023.
Despite only three original cast members remaining by Season 19 (Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Wilson, and James Pickens Jr.) and popularity slipping, the series is still one of ABC’s top-watched programs.
In fact, Variety reported that Season 19 was the network’s highest-ranked show amongst adults ages 18-49 before it was renewed for another year.
How Far Along is Grey’s Anatomy Season 20?
Deadline revealed that the writers’ room for Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 officially opened its doors on Monday, October 2 after the summer-long WGA strike came to an end.
Writers’ rooms also opened for Fire Country Season 2, Ghosts Season 3, NCIS Season 21, Abbott Elementary Season 3, and Yellowjackets Season 3 on the same day.
As of now, there is no official confirmation for who will be part of the cast for Season 20, although the show will move to more of an ensemble focus with Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey leaving in Season 19.
Longtime cr
ew member Meg Marinis will also take over as the showrunner for Season 20 with Krista Vernoff stepping down.
When Will Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 Begin?
Season 19 of Grey’s Anatomy began filming on August 3, 2022, before it premiered on ABC in early October 2022, giving the series a pretty short turnaround for its 20-episode season.
Taking that timeframe into account, things could get going quickly for Season 20 as well, although it all depends on when the still-running SAG-AFTRA strike comes to a conclusion.
Should Grey’s Anatomy begin filming in either late 2023 or early 2024, the expectation would be that the series comes back on air for a Spring 2024 premiere, which would be its first spring premiere since Season 1.
But with the writers’ room now underway for Season 20, things should be able to progress fairly quickly once the actors have the green light to return to their work.
Then, there’s also the question of just how much longer Grey’s Anatomy can continue its run, especially after the titular Meredith Grey left the story in Season 19.
Even so, considering the excellent viewing numbers and ratings the show continues to earn this late into its run, ABC appears to be holding off on that decision.
Season 20 of Grey’s Anatomy is currently being written, although it doesn’t have an official release date set yet.
When Does ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Return? Plus More Details About Season 20
*Warning: Spoilers ahead*
ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy has kept our attention for 19 (almost 20) seasons, drawing us in with every ill-fated heartbreak and surprise twist. But now that Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) is departing the show as a series regular, we can’t help but wonder what’s next for the medical drama. For example, when does Grey’s Anatomy return for season 20? And what happened in the season 19 finale?
From the cast to the potential premiere date, keep scrolling for details.
1. When Does Grey’s Anatomy Return?
Unfortunately, Grey’s Anatomy season 20 isn’t expected to return until 2024. This may confuse some viewers because the show typically premieres in September. However, ABC pushed several premiere dates because of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. While the Writer’s Guild Association has reached a deal, the actor’s union is still negotiating.
Creator Shonda Rhimes discussed the show’s future in an interview with E! News and confirmed that it’s here to stay. “It’s such an amazing show and it’s doing so well as it’s moving forward,” she said. “I’m going to leave it alone and see where it goes, and we’re going to stay a show as long as everybody wants to be there and as long as the fans want to be there.”
2. What Happened in the Season 19 Finale?
The finale was split into two parts—one installment (titled “Wedding Bell Blues”) focused on the new interns, and the other (titled “Happily Ever After”) followed the attendings at the Catherine Fox Awards. There was a lot of progression for romances, including Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) and Atticus “Link” Lincoln (Chris Carmack). But the most notable twist was the departure of Meredith Grey (Pompeo) and Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary), who are both pursuing opportunities outside of Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital.
But wait, there’s more. The finale ended on a major cliffhanger involving Teddy Altman (Kim Raver), whose fate is up in the air. After complaining about a toothache, she passed out in the OR. The episode concluded with her husband, Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), performing CPR on her.
3. What Will Happen in Season 20?
Well, it will likely explore the aftermath of Teddy’s fainting spell, which hopefully isn’t as serious as it appeared. (It wouldn’t be the first time Grey’s Anatomy implied that someone has died only to bring them back, so don’t count her out.) It will also highlight more of the interns, who will become the focus now that Meredith is no longer a series regular.
In an interview with Pride magazine, Jake Borrelli teased what’s to come for his character, Levi Schmitt. “By the end of season 19, I feel like we’re starting to get a grip on [Dr. Schmitt’s] own teaching technique,” he said. “I’m hoping that we get to see him thrive a little bit more in that space. I keep going back to the blood donation storyline, for queer men specifically, because we talked about it quite a bit at the end of last season. I would love to revisit that and educate people more on that.”
4. Will Meredith Return for Season 20?
It hasn’t been confirmed, but there’s a chance that Pompeo will reprise her role of Meredith Grey. In an interview with Variety’s Actors on Actors, the 53-year-old actress teased the possibility of returning for season 20. “I will be making some appearances hopefully next year, if I can find some time,” she said. “It’s not a complete goodbye. And I think we’ve got an interesting story to tell.” *Crosses fingers*
