This week, Grey’s Anatomy aired a record-breaking episode, solidifying the show as the longest-running primetime medical drama in TV history. It’s crazy to think that it’s been FIFTEEN years since we were first introduced to a resident named Meredith who had a crush on a doctor named McDreamy (seriously, just typing that sentence makes me feel insanely old and I’m not even 30 years old yet).
Grey’s Anatomy is a groundbreaking show for far more than its commitment to putting its cast members through as many traumatic experiences as possible (Meredith really doesn’t get enough credit for not seeking a different place of employment after all of the things she’s seen at Seattle Grace). When it premiered in 2005, Grey’s Anatomy truly shook up Hollywood and generated a ton of buzz for its diverse cast. In today’s day and age, we have made leaps and bounds in terms of representation in entertainment (the fact that Marvel’s first female-led superhero film Captain Marvel premieres next week speaks volumes to that). However, Hollywood wasn’t always the progressive landscape it is today, and Shonda Rhimes truly deserves a lot of credit for breaking down barriers. Here’s what one of the show’s lead actors has to say on the topic:
“When they had me come in to read for the role of chief of surgery, I hadn’t seen an African American in that kind of role before,” says James Pickens Jr., who remembers sitting next to Rhimes at the 2005 upfronts when she hoped to get five or seven episodes on the air. “Grey’s is more than just entertainment. Shonda always wanted to make sure that the show impacted the landscape in a way that we hadn’t seen before on TV. I like to think that Grey’s had a big part in how the industry casts shows.”
Additionally, Grey’s Anatomy has also been a trailblazer in terms of its empowering storylines. As Hollywood Reporter notes, Grey’s has explored domestic violence, unconscious bias and new stories for transgender characters. Grey’s this season features a same-sex relationship with its first openly gay male surgeon (Alex Landi, whose Nico is romancing Jake Borelli’s intern, Schmitt) as part of its “Season of Love.” The latter is especially true for Pompeo’s Meredith, who is now exploring serious relationships after losing her “person” when Dempsey’s Derek was shockingly killed off back in season 11.
While I personally fell off the Grey’s Anatomy bandwagon after McSteamy was killed off, the show’s milestone episode this week calls for recognition of how it changed our culture and made huge strides towards equal and diverse representation on television. As we continue moving towards a more accepting, progressive and tolerant society, I have no doubt that women like Shonda Rhimes will go down in history as pivotal figures who changed the way we see the world and each other.
Grey’s Anatomy by the numbers (courtesy of ABC News)
100: How many hookups have taken place.
20: How many weddings have happened.
40: How many births.
50: How many dancing-it-outs.
20: How many punches thrown.
Four: The number of original cast members still on the show, 15
seasons and counting.
40+: How many doctors have scrubbed in since season 1.
29: The number of female directors who have stepped behind the
camera for the show.
16: The number of major stars who’ve left fans shattered by their
departure from Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
Millions: The number of new fans that discover “Grey’s”
each month through Netflix.
332: The number of episodes, including Thursday night’s
milestone.
