We have a pulse! Following a heart-pumping season 19 finale, Grey's Anatomy has even bigger plans ahead.
The penultimate two-parter had viewers playing witness to a wedding with a runaway bride, while a surprise reunion brought back Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey as our dear Miranda Bailey won the Catherine Fox Award. Already, fans are left wondering about what's ahead.
Details remain few and far between, but here's all that we gathered about Grey's Anatomy season 20, including the confirmed returning cast, the release date and the question on everyone's mind: Is Grey's Anatomy ending after season 20?
Will there be a season 20 of Grey's Anatomy?
Yes! The longest-running primetime medical drama is returning for its 20th season. As of March 2023, ABC confirmed the hit series' return while announcing Meg Marinis' debut as showrunner.
Meg replaces longtime Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 showrunner Krista Vernoff, who left both shows this May. Already steeped in the universe, Meg has worked alongside the crew for many years, with writing credits for 41 episodes. So, viewers shouldn't worry about the show changing too much.
Do we know if Grey's Anatomy is ending after season 20?
Following its namesake's departure, fans questioned whether season 20 is the show's last suture. Good news: Creator Shonda Rhimes assured fans that they don't plan on ending the show anytime soon.
“I might be a very old lady by the time we reach its last season because it doesn’t seem to be stopping, which is wonderful, and I feel the world really belongs to the fans, and the fans have been really clear about what they want,” she told Deadline in May 2023.
The Bridgerton creator added: “It’s such an amazing show, and it’s doing so well as it’s moving forward. 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.”
When is the Grey's Anatomy season 20 release date?
Someone page a doctor, stat! After the WGA and SAG-AFTRA agreed to deals with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), Grey's Anatomy announced that season 20 will hit our screens on Thursday, March 14, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET.
"Grey-Sloan Memorial can't wait to have you back. 💙," read the official caption when the announcement dropped on Instagram on November 16. "A new season of #GreysAnatomy premieres March 14 on ABC and stream on Hulu."
It's important to note that historically, other seasons were released in the fall. The season 19 premiere aired on October 6, 2022, and looking back to before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the U.S., new episodes of Grey's Anatomy were released every September for 14 years. But as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike caused several shows to delay production, seeing Grey's Anatomy up and running again will have everyone excited for what's next.
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Has Grey's Anatomy season 20 officially started production?
Based on an Instagram post from Camilla Luddington, it looks like all the attendees are officially back on set for Grey's Anatomy season 20. In addition to posting a number of Instagram stories that showed the first table read of the season, she uploaded a selfie alongside Chris Carmack, seemingly confirming his return to the series as well.
"👋 🩺," she simply wrote on Instagram in November 2023.
Who will be in the cast of season 20 of Grey's Anatomy?
The sun's gone down on Meredith Grey as Ellen announced her departure amid season 19 airing. But that door may remain just slightly ajar as the Golden Globe-nominated actress still serves as an executive producer and narrator.
What's more, part 2 of the season 19 finale saw a reappearance of Meredith and Maggie (Kelly McCreary), with the former hinting at more ahead as she takes another jab at curing Alzheimer’s disease. That open-ended storyline, plus the rotating door of returnees like Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), certainly gives hope.
Otherwise, quite a few returning cast members are already confirmed. Here's who is set to scrub in this coming season:
- James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber
- Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey
- Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt
- Kim Raver as Teddy Altman
- Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson
- Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd
- Alex Landi as Dr. Nico Kim
What's more, the last installment's newcomers Harry Shum Jr., Adelaide Kane, Alexis Floyd, Niko Terho and Midori Francis are also expected to return. Plus, Chris Carmack — who has been on the show since 2018 — is assumed to be reprising his role as Dr. Atticus (Link) Lincoln, Jo's friend-turned-love interest. Viewers finally saw Link confess his romantic feelings for Jo in the season 19 finale.
And if that's not enough, it looks like we have another former cast member coming back to Grey Sloan Memorial! In a surprise Instagram uploaded on February 13, Jessica Capshaw revealed the news that she will return as pediatric surgeon Dr. Arizona Robbins on the April 4, 2024 episode.
"04.04.24," she simply captioned a selfie of her scrubbed up in costume.
Jessica hasn't been on the show since the season 14 finale, which aired in May 2018. Deadline attributed her exit (which was announced alongside that of Sarah Drew's April Kepner) to "the show’s creative direction." In the series, Jessica's character left Seattle for New York City to try and mend her relationship with ex-wife Callie Torres (played by Sarah Ramirez).
Naturally, seeing Jessica's news had fans in complete hysterics in the comments. "I'm trying to act cool about this, but i am indeed FREAKING OUT," one person exclaimed on Instagram. "I don't think I ever thought this day would come," another said. "I'm so exited to have Arizona back!!!!!!! Fav character of all time ❤️," a different follower added. "BEST DECISION SHONDA EVER MADE," yet another commenter declared.
While Arizona's return could have a number of implications, fans in the comments are hoping for some updates on her relationship with Callie and their baby, Sofia. "Arizona Robbins is coming back and we're gonna get that calzona endgame confirmation," one fan wrote. "Arizona better be telling us about how her and Callie are in love again and raising [Sofia] together!" another begged.
Well, our interests are certainly piqued!
Will Ellen Pompeo be in Grey's Anatomy season 20?
In a surprise twist of events, it looks like fans will get a bigger dose of their favorite doctor in season 20!
In an announcement made by People on February 12, viewers learned Ellen is set to return as Meredith Grey for at least four episodes in season 20. This is a welcome update for fans who were disappointed by the original news that season 20 will be the first not to feature Ellen as a series regular.
It was previously revealed in December 2023 that Meredith will appear in the season 20 premiere. A sneak peek on YouTube confirmed the news, showing Meredith back at Grey Sloan Memorial as the episode picks up where season 19 left off.
Folks may remember Ellen exited Grey's Anatomy partway through season 19 in February 2023. While she later reprised her role in the season finale, she explained on The Drew Barrymore Show she had a very personal reason for why it was time to leave the show.
"The show has been incredible to me and I've loved a lot of the experience," she shared in December 2022. "It's just I gotta mix it up a little bit. I'm 53, my brain is like scrambled eggs ... I gotta do something new or I'm literally gonna turn into, like, you can't do the New York Times crossword puzzle every single day."
Any other clues to know about Grey's Anatomy season 20?
Life and death always hang in the balance in Grey's Anatomy. The season 19 finale left Teddy Altman's fate up in the air after she collapsed in the OR, which leaves many wondering if her character nears her end on the show. Fret not, your questions won't go unanswered. Teddy's actress Kim Raver signed the dotted line for another season, so she's bound to return in some capacity.
How can I watch and stream Grey's Anatomy season 20?
When Grey's Anatomy premieres on ABC, folks can watch new season 20 episodes in real-time on TV. Alternatively, viewers can catch up on the ABC app or on ABC.com the next day. Don't have a TV provider? Stream episodes on Hulu, Philo and fuboTV. Plus, there's the option to purchase individual episodes of Grey's Anatomy on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play and YouTube.
