Grey’s Anatomy season 20 will happen but with one major change. The long-running hospital drama has experienced some major changes in recent months. Ellen Pompeo has taken on a reduced role as Meredith Grey, with the actor focusing on other projects. It was also announced that showrunner Krista Vernoff is stepping away from the show, and its spinoff Station 19, once the current installment ends. More recently, Grey’s Anatomy will see the character Maggie Pierce exit as actor Kelly McCreary also announced that she’d be leaving the show after nine seasons.
Now, per The Hollywood Reporter, it’s been confirmed that ABC has renewed Grey’s Anatomy for season 20. Meg Marinis, who has been with the series since season 3, will take over the role of showrunner from Krista Vernoff. Grey’s Anatomy is the first ABC scripted drama to receive a renewal. It joins the popular sitcom Abbott Elementary as the first of ABC’s programs to be confirmed for a return.
What Marinis As Showrunner Means For Grey’s Anatomy
As expected, Grey’s Anatomy season 20 chose from within its ranks in terms of its next showrunner. Marinis has a long history with the medical drama series, beginning as a writer’s production assistant before working her way up as a writers’ assistant and medical researcher. She then was promoted to the position of executive producer, a role she’s had for the past four years. In addition to these roles, Marinis is an experienced writer on Grey’s Anatomy.
She’s credited with 35 episodes of the show. Her first credit came with the season 6 episode, “Hook, Line, and Sinner,” which saw the characters work on a captain that was stabbed with a giant shark hook. More recently, she wrote the second episode of Grey’s Anatomy season 19, which continues to slowly set Meredith’s overall exit into motion and focuses on her relationship with Nick.
In more than one way, the ascent of Marinis as the showrunner of Grey’s Anatomy ensures continuity for the series. The show continues to deliver strong ratings, both in a traditional sense and on streaming. If that success holds, there can certainly be a future with less Meredith Grey.