It's official: Grey's Anatomy returns for season 20 – no rest for the wicked! Here's everything we know about the upcoming anniversary-season, including the release date and cast.
Grey's Anatomy is iconic for many reasons: romances, absurd medical conditions, drama and, of course, Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol or How To Save A Life by The Fray as background music in heartbreaking moments.
The show has officially been renewed for season 20, making it the longest-running medical drama show ever – everybody say thank you and congrats to Shonda Rhimes for that! We've got all the info about the new season for you right here, so let's get right into it.
Grey's Anatomy Season 20 | Release Date
Back in March 2023, fans could rest easy when ABC announced that Grey's Anatomy would return for season 20 – with the whole Meredith situation, there was reason to worry if the show would end with the nineteenth season.
But almost exactly after the last season's finale, the drama show returns. Grey's Anatomy Season 20 is set to release on March 14, 2024.
Still, there will be some changes on and off screen. Behind the scenes, head showrunner Krista Vernoff will say goodbye and pass the torch over to long-time crew member Meg Marinis. The on-screen changes might be even more interesting for the casual viewer, though.
Grey's Anatomy Season 20 | Cast
We'll get to the whole Meredith/Ellen Pompeo situation in a second, I promise. But first, let's take a look at the confirmed cast that's going to return.
Kevin McKidd, Caterina Scorsone, Camilla Luddington and Kim Raver have been confirmed to reprise their roles as Owen, Amelia, Jo and Teddy respectively. From the OG cast, we'll get treated to another season with James Pickens Jr. as Richard and Chandra Wilson as Bailey.
The newest cast members – aka the interns – Adelaide Kane, Harry Shum Jr., Alexis Floyd, Midori Francis and Niko Terho are also expected to return, as well as Chris Cormack and Jaicy Elliot as Atticus Lincoln and Taryn Helm. Not confirmed, but highly likely is also Debbie Allen returning as Catherine Fox.
On the other hand, Kelly McCreary decided to leave Grey's Anatomy after the latest season, so Maggie Pierce won't return – at least not regularly. Although cast members are always welcome to return for a quick hello, it's best not to count on McCreary to stop by.
But now, the most important question: What about Ellen Pompeo?
Will Grey's Anatomy Season 20 Be Without Meredith?
What would Grey's Anatomy even be without iconic and beloved Meredith Grey? Just "Anatomy"? Yeah, fat chance. In the last season, they gave her a quick goodbye (some cake in the lobby – are you serious? After all this time?) and saw her off to Boston in search of a cure for Alzheimer's.
Admittedly, that's pretty far away from Seattle, so commuting isn't exactly an option to keep Meredith close. There's always a chance for Meredith to return for a short storyline, but acting on Grey's Anatomy reportedly won't be Ellen Pompeo's top priority anymore.
She still remains executive producer and will also provide the iconic voiceovers at the beginning and end of each episode, according to Deadline. So with her still working on Grey's Anatomy, chances are we'll still get to see Dr. Meredith Grey from time to time, but her main character times seem to be over.
For now, there's nothing left to do but wait for March 14, 2024 to come to see how the multiple love confessions and life-altering dramatic events from last season's finale turn out.