Grey's Anatomy
- This article is about the television series. For the anatomy text, see Gray's Anatomy. For other spellings and uses, see Gray's Anatomy (disambiguation).
| Grey's Anatomy | |
|---|---|
 Grey's Anatomy intertitle | |
| Created by | Shonda Rhimes |
| Starring | see below |
| Narrated by | Ellen Pompeo (as Meredith), occasionally narrated by other main cast characters |
| Opening theme | "Cosy in the Rocket" by Psapp |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 61 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Shonda Rhimes Betsy Beers Krista Vernoff Mark Gordon |
| Running time | approx. 43 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | March 27, 2005 – present |
Grey's Anatomy is a popular Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American primetime television medical drama. It debuted on ABC as a midseason replacement on March 27, 2005, immediately following Desperate Housewives. The story revolves around Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), who began the show as a surgical intern at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital in Seattle, Washington. She and the other former interns became residents at the end of Season 3. The show features an ensemble cast, though Meredith is presented as the central character, providing voice-over narration at the beginning and end of most episodes. The title of the show is an allusion to the anatomy textbook Gray's Anatomy, and play on the central character's (Meredith Grey's) name. Every episode title comes from the title of a song (like ABC's other dramedy, Desperate Housewives).[1] The show is currently on summer hiatus and will commence production of its fourth season in August.[2]. New episodes are scheduled to air in September.
Cast and characters
The characters of the series include a group of surgical interns (now residents), the various physicians who serve as mentors to the interns, and additional people in their professional and personal lives. As of the third season finale, the interns have become second-year residents, except Dr. George O'Malley, who failed his intern exam.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| T. R. Knight | Dr. George O'Malley (he failed his first intern year, so he must therefore retake it) |
| Chyler Leigh | Dr. Lexie Grey (Season 4+) |
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Ellen Pompeo | Dr. Meredith Grey |
| Sandra Oh | Dr. Cristina Yang |
| Katherine Heigl | Dr. Isobel "Izzie" Stevens |
| Justin Chambers | Dr. Alex Karev |
| Sara Ramírez | Dr. Callie Torres (Season 3+) (Chief Resident, Orthopedic Surgical Resident) |
| Chandra Wilson | Dr. Miranda Bailey (General Surgical Resident) |
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| James Pickens, Jr. | Dr. Richard Webber (Chief of Surgery) |
| Patrick Dempsey | Dr. Derek Shepherd a.k.a. "McDreamy" (Neurosurgeon) |
| Eric Dane | Dr. Mark Sloan a.k.a. "McSteamy"[3] (Season 3+) (Plastic surgeon) |
Former Cast Members:
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Kate Walsh | Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery, formerly Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery-Shepherd (Season 2-3) (Neonatal surgeon/Obstetrics and gynecology/Specialist in Maternal Fetal Medicine/Medical Genetics Fellow (Cystic Fibrosis)) (See also: Private Practice) |
| Isaiah Washington | Dr. Preston Burke (Season 1-3) (Cardiothoracic surgeon) |
The show's producers pride themselves on the fact that they used a "blind-casting" technique[citation needed], resulting in a racially diverse cast. The writers carefully chose the specialty of each doctor as an important analogy to their character and foreshadowing of their development, which adds a layer of complexity to the show.
Fisher Plaza, which houses Seattle's ABC affiliate KOMO-TV, is used for some exterior shots of Seattle Grace Hospital. This puts Seattle Grace conveniently close to the Space Needle, the Seattle Monorail, and other local landmarks. However, the hospital used for most other exterior and many interior shots is not in Seattle; these scenes are shot at the VA Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center in North Hills, California.[4] While the interior of Meredith's house is a built set, the actual Seattle home used for exterior shots is in Seattle and is part of Zillow's Famous Homes series.
Seasons
Season 1: 2005
- Nielsen Ranking (2004-05 U.S. TV season; based on average total viewers per episode): #9 (18.5 million viewers)[5]
Season one began airing March 27, 2005 and ended on May 22, 2005. The first season was shortened by the network to nine episodes instead of 14. (The original season finale was "Bring the Pain."). Meredith Grey, daughter of the once-renowned surgeon Ellis Grey, becomes an intern at the Seattle Grace Hospital. She meets fellow interns Cristina Yang, Isobel "Izzie" Stevens, and George O'Malley who will be her closest friends during the intern program. Other characters include Dr. Miranda Bailey, who is nicknamed "The Nazi" due to her "tough love" capability; Alex Karev, another intern who is not very popular with the other interns (especially Izzie); and renowned surgeons Dr. Derek Shepherd and Dr. Preston Burke. The chief of surgery is Richard Webber, who was once more than close friends with Meredith's mother. The season chronicles the first few months of the intern program and the day-to-day life of a surgical intern. Recurring plots include Meredith's battle to keep her mother's Alzheimer's disease a secret and her relationship with Dr. Shepherd. Others include George's infatuation with Meredith and a power struggle between Dr. Burke and Dr. Shepherd in the hospital. The season's end introduces Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd, Derek's estranged wife.
Season 2: 2005-2006
- Nielsen Ranking (2005-06 U.S. TV season; based on average total viewers per episode): #5 (19.9 million viewers)[6]
The second season began airing September 25, 2005, and ended on May 14 and May 15, 2006 with a three-hour finale spanning both nights. The first season originally contained 14 episodes, representing ABC's original midseason order for the show. However, it was decided to end the season early because ABC executives wished for the show's first season to end with ABC's Desperate Housewives (which had the timeslot before Grey's Anatomy for the first two seasons). Rather than condensing or throwing out plotlines, Grey's Anatomy producers chose to end the season with the ninth episode and save the following episodes for the second season. Episodes 10-14 were then held and broadcast as the first five episodes of Season 2. ABC ordered 22 episodes in addition to the five being carried over, bringing the total number of episodes for the second season to 27. The count apparently does not include the recap specials "Straight From The Heart" and "Under Pressure"; however, a 27th original episode was eventually added to the season. "Bring the Pain," which aired as the series' 14th episode, has been cited in series creator Shonda Rhimes' blog as having been originally intended as the first season finale. The second season focuses on Meredith and Dr. Derek Shepherd's relationship, which came to an abrupt halt when it was revealed that Dr. Shepherd is married to the surgeon Addison Montgomery-Shepherd. Izzie Stevens and Alex Karev embark on a relationship of their own (although this is cut short when Izzie falls for heart patient Denny Duquette), as do Cristina Yang and Dr. Preston Burke. Dr. Miranda Bailey becomes pregnant and more about Meredith's perrenial tragedy is revealed. On some of the weeks airing after its highly-watched February 5, 2006 post-Super Bowl episode, the program attracted more viewers than its lead-in, Desperate Housewives.
Once the second season ended on May 15, 2006, the show had two previously recurring actors, Sara Ramirez (Callie Torres) and Eric Dane (Mark Sloan), join the regular cast. The series' opening credit sequence was also dropped. Beginning the third season with a title card displayed at the end of the first act and credits displayed over the opening of the second act of each episode.
Season 3: 2006-2007
- Nielsen Ranking (2006-07 U.S. TV season; based on average total viewers per episode): #3 (20.0 million viewers)[7]
On May 16 2006, the morning following the close of the second season, ABC announced plans for a third season of Grey's Anatomy to anchor the network's Thursday evening programming,[8] set to air at 9 p.m. ET. ABC first tested the series' potential for Thursday audiences on February 9, 2006, as it aired an encore of the Super Bowl XL-leadout episode titled "It's the End of the World." The following Thursday, February 16, 2006, the network repeated the second part of the story arc, "(As We Know It)." Both airings began at 9:30 p.m. ET, and thus positioned Grey's Anatomy against CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Without a Trace, Fox Network's The OC, and NBC's long-running medical drama ER. Solid performance on these nights, with the repeat airings maintaining a strong second-place finish, may have been influential in the fall scheduling decision.
The move to Thursdays was viewed as a vote of confidence in the series from ABC, as well as a bid to attract more advertising dollars, since movie studios heavily advertise movies on Thursday evenings for that weekend's box office. The move was cited as one factor for competing network NBC's decision to move its own Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, originally intended to air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET. ABC announced on July 18, 2006, that the third season would premiere on September 21, 2006.
The series assumed its new Thursday slot on July 6, 2006, as part of a two-hour event featuring a repeat of the pilot episode, "A Hard Day's Night." Throughout July and August, the series aired twice weekly — once in the new Thursday time period, and once in its previous Sunday time period. Grey's Anatomy performed strongly in the show's new timeslot in its season premiere. It was able to snatch away the #1 position from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation during the 9 p.m. hour, bringing in an impressive 25.14 million viewers throughout the hour and a strong 10.9 rating in the vital 18-49 demographic. In comparison, CSI's season premiere earned a competitive 22.04 million total viewership and a 7.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic.[9]
The third season ended on May 17, 2007. The wedding of Dr. Cristina Yang to Dr. Preston Burke came to a sudden halt when the groom called it off. Likewise, the run for both Chief of Surgery and Chief Resident ended with Dr. Richard Webber reclaiming his title as Chief of Surgery and Dr. Calliope Torres being appointed Chief Resident, much to the dismay of Dr. Miranda Bailey. The relationship between Dr. Derek Shepherd and Dr. Meredith Grey, as well as the triangle of Callie Torres/George O'Malley, and Izzie Stevens, were left unresolved. After the interns received their final test scores, George O'Malley learned that he had failed, which left his role on the show in question. As the interns become residents, a new crop of interns is set to appear, including Meredith's half-sister Lexie Grey. Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery is officially moving to Los Angeles, California, to lead the cast of ABC's new drama Private Practice.
Season 4: 2007-2008
The show was renewed for a fourth season, which will air in September 2007. For the first time in the show's history two main cast members will not be back. Kate Walsh's character will be transferring to the Grey's Anatomy spin-off, Private Practice. On June 7, 2007, it was announced that Isaiah Washington had been fired.[10]
Former Reunion star, Chyler Leigh, has been offered a thirteen episode contract.[citation needed] Leigh guest starred in the final two episodes of season three as Lexie Grey, a new intern and Meredith Grey's younger half-sister. It was also reported that a new male character would be introduced. This character would somehow be in "competition" with Dr. Derek Shepherd. [11]
In the official blog, creator Shonda Rhimes gave a few clues as to plotlines for season four, indicating that Mark Sloan will be given a bigger role and that the aftermath of the finale events for Derek Shepherd and Cristina Yang will be "interesting to watch."[12]
On June 16, 2007, contrary to rumors that Isaiah Washington's character (Dr. Preston Burke) would be played by another actor (possibly Denzel Washington), Shonda Rhimes confirmed that there would be no replacement for Dr. Burke. [13]
Other
High profile
In 2005, ABC gave the hit show a vote of confidence by announcing that Grey's Anatomy would receive the coveted post-Super Bowl time slot which aired on February 5, 2006.[14] The special episode pulled in a record 38.1 million viewers. The network's faith in the show was proven further when it removed it from its comfortable post-Desperate Housewives berth and scheduled it opposite the CBS ratings blockbuster CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in fall 2006. The gamble paid off, with the season premiere drawing 3 million more viewers than CSI.
The series has twice been featured as a subject of special episodes of the ABC News program 20/20, including one 2006 episode on the realism of the sometimes outlandish medical stories of Grey's Anatomy, and real cases similar to them.[15][16] Additionally, a 2005 broadcast of ABC News Nightline more specifically covered Grey's Anatomy's multiracial cast and race relations depiction in entertainment.
Grey's Anatomy is one of Former President Bill Clinton's three favorite shows.[17]
Criticisms
 | This section possibly contains original research. |
| This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. |
Grey's Anatomy, despite its popularity, has its share of detractors. The show has been widely criticized by various groups, many of them medical, for inaccurately presenting medical situations and greatly exaggerating the degree to which doctors and medical professionals fraternize with one another.[18][verification needed] In particular, the show was initially targeted as showing a disrespect for nurses (several lines of dialogue had doctors referring to nurses in sarcastic or belittling ways; in the pilot episode, Meredith is offended when Alex thinks she is "just" a nurse). The creator defended this line saying that it shows what would be offensive to a surgeon and that in the scenes after it is shown that the nurses know more than the new interns. It also has depicted the nurses as being overly sexual. Nurse Olivia Harper, played by Sarah Utterback, is a recurring character on the show and is known for trying to bed doctors. She even contracted syphilis from Dr. Karev near the end of season one and unknowingly gave it to Dr. O'Malley. Chief of Staff, Dr. Webber, called for mandatory testing of the hospital staff and a long line of doctors and nurses stretched down the hallway. Some season two episodes seem to address how lost the hospital is without them after the nurses went on strike. However, supporters of the show have defended its so called "lack of realism", claiming that a dry, precise medical show would lack the charms[19] that make Grey's Anatomy so popular with its intensely wide audience and pointing out that very few TV programs, including ones purporting to be far more serious, hew strictly to realism.
Scrubs has taken shots at Grey's due to the fact that there are many similarities between the two. In the fifth season of Scrubs Elliot asks J.D., "Can't we just go home, and put on our PJ's, and watch Grey's Anatomy?" In response, J.D. says, "Oh, I do love that show. It's like they've been watching our lives and then just put it on TV." In the 6th season, Dr. Cox later listed Grey's use of voice-overs as one of the things that he hates in life (in a self-referential jab at J.D.'s similar use of voice-over), and Elliot bemoaned the use of voice overs on Grey's Anatomy.
Isaiah Washington controversy
In October, 2006 as season 3 began, the show's actors attracted media attention when Washington was alleged to have referred to another cast member as a "faggot" during an on-set altercation with Patrick Dempsey. This cast member transpired to be T.R. Knight who came out about his sexual orientation following media speculation. While Washington denied using the word, he issued a public statement apologizing for his "unfortunate use of words." The controversy later reignited at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards. After the show won for Best Drama Series, the cast and crew appeared in the pressroom to answer reporters' questions. While creator Shonda Rhimes was being asked about the incident, Washington unexpectedly stepped in front of the microphone and stated: "No, I did not call T.R. a faggot." (The Hollywood Foreign Press Association placed the footage on their website) Afterwards, in an interview with Access Hollywood, Katherine Heigl criticised Washington for revisiting the incident publicly and using the slur in the pressroom, and said "he needs to just not speak in public. Period." Later that week, Knight appeared on Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talkshow and said he and others had heard Washington use the slur during the October incident. LGBT group GLAAD then called on Washington to apologize.[20] Network executives went on to reprimand Washington, who then agreed to undergo counseling and issued a statement saying: "I can neither defend nor explain my behavior...I can also no longer deny to myself that there are issues I obviously need to examine within my own soul, and I've asked for help." In an effort to try to come clean with the viewers, Washington surprisingly checked into a residential treatment facility to undergo a psychological assessment for the slur.
However, on June 7, ABC announced they had decided not to renew Washington's contract, and that he would be dropped from the show. "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore," Washington said in a statement released by his publicist.[21]
Since then Isaiah Washington has spoken about the firing and has said that he was not mad but "saddened" by his firing. He also said that if he was asked to make a cameo on the show, he would not hesitate to say "yes".[22]
Private Practice
On February 21, 2007, The Wall Street Journal reported that ABC was pursuing a spin-off of Grey's Anatomy featuring the character Addison Montgomery.[23] On May 3, 2007, a two-hour episode of Grey's Anatomy doubled as a backdoor pilot for the proposed spinoff. ABC officially picked up Private Practice for its fall 2007 lineup on May 11.
In popular culture
Other shows have referenced Grey's Anatomy, or its characters and setting, as the show grew in fame and popularity.
- The fifth season episode of Scrubs, "My Buddy's Booty", featured Drs. Reid (Sarah Chalke) and J.D. (Zach Braff) discussing their plans for the evening and agreeing to watch Grey's Anatomy, saying "It's like they've been watching our lives and putting it on TV!".In the sixth season a reference is made to the vague closing statements at the end of the episodes
- In the second season of The Office on NBC, character Kelly tells co-worker Kevin "I was watching Grey's Anatomy and there was a life guard on it. And he had skin cancer too."
- In the third episode of season 4 on The O.C., Dr. Neil Roberts is offered a new job at Seattle Grace Hospital, which he describes to his daughter as "wonderfully quirky." On the following episode, Kaitlin Cooper asks her mother Julie Cooper if Neil is still being bossed around by a short, sassy lady, presumably a reference to Dr. Miranda Bailey. In the tenth episode of season 4 on The O.C., Seth Cohen goes to visit Dr. Neil Roberts at Seattle Grace Hospital. Seth asks him, "So, you likin' it up here?" to which Neil asks, "Seriously?" and Seth responds, "Seriously"--a phrase which is often repeated by the interns on Grey's Anatomy. One scene between Seth and Neil take place in an outdoor dining hall very similar to the one featured on Grey's Anatomy.
- In the TV show Degrassi: The Next Generation Emma asks Manny to come over and watch TV saying it will just be: "you, me, and McDreamy" - referring the nickname established for Dr. Shepherd.
- In a 2007 episode of Family Guy, mayor of Quahog Adam West reads an excerpt of a kid's book entitled "The Pet Goat" to a class of schoolchildren. The dialogue of the first page of the book says that the pet goat thinks that he would probably enjoy Grey's Anatomy if he had the time to watch it, to which the farmer replies "You should make the time."
- In the season 5 Family Guy episode "No Meals on Wheels" Peter's neighbor Joe asks Peter if he'd like to come into his house and watch Grey's Anatomy, Peter responds: "Oh boy Joe, I gotta tell ya… that sounds awful."
- In the third episode of the first season of Short Circuitz, there is a parody of Grey's Anatomy known as Jay's Anatomy.
- In an episode of the new ABC series Notes from the Underbelly, the main character says "Get me an epidural, stat! I'm pretending to be a character on Grey's Anatomy."
- An episode of ER contains a surgeon who is caught masturbating in a janitor's closet, and he is then referred to as "Dr. McCreamy."
U.S. television ratings
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of Grey's Anatomy.
Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.
| Season | Timeslot | Season Premiere | Season Finale | TV Season | Ranking | Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunday 10:00PM | March 27, 2005 | May 22, 2005 | 2005 | #9 | 18.5 |
| 2 | Sunday 10:00PM | September 25, 2005 | May 15, 2006 | 2005–2006 | #5 | 19.9 |
| 3 | Thursday 9:00PM | September 21, 2006 | May 17, 2007 | 2006–2007 | #6 | 19.5[7] |
| 4 | Thursday 9:00PM | Fall 2007 | Spring 2008 | 2007–2008 | TBA | TBA |
In the UK the Second season finale, which aired in May 2007, was watched by 1.28 million. The third season of the show that started on the satellite channel Living attracted 376,000 viewers.
Awards
 |
Wins
- Best Television Series - Drama: Grey's Anatomy (2007)
- Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-series, or Motion Picture Made for Television: Sandra Oh (2006)
- Best Television Series - Drama: Grey's Anatomy (2007)
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series: Sandra Oh (2006)
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series: Chandra Wilson (2007)
- Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast in a TV Series - Drama: Grey's Anatomy (2007)
- Future Classic (2006)
- Outstanding Drama Series (2006, 2007)
- Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: Isaiah Washington (2006,2007)
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Chandra Wilson (2007)
- Program of the Year (2006)
- Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series: Linda Lowy, John Brace (2006)
- Favorite TV Drama: Grey's Anatomy (2007)
- Favorite Male TV Star: Patrick Dempsey (2007)
- Entertainers of the Year: Cast of Grey's Anatomy (2007)
- Outstanding Individual Episode: "Where the Boys Are" (2007)
Nominations
- Outstanding Drama Series (2006)
- Outstanding Makeup For A Series (Non-Prosthetic)
- Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
- Outstanding Direction in a Drama Series: Peter Horton (A Hard Day's Night) (2005)
- Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series: Linda Lowy, John Brace (2005, 2006)
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Sandra Oh (2005, 2006)
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Chandra Wilson (2006)
- Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Kate Burton (Ellis Grey) (2006)
- Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Christina Ricci (Hannah the paramedic) (2006)
- Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Kyle Chandler (Dylan Young) (2006)
- Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: Shonda Rhimes (It’s the End Of The World, As We Know It ) (2006)
- Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: Krista Vernoff (Into You Like A Train) (2006)
- Best Television Series - Drama (2006)
- Best Actor in a Television Drama Series : Patrick Dempsey (2006, 2007)
- Best Actress in a Television Drama Series: Ellen Pompeo (2007)
- Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-series, or Motion Picture Made for Television: Katherine Heigl (2007)
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Chandra Wilson (2006, 2007)
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: James Pickens, Jr. (2006, 2007)
- Outstanding Drama Series (2007)
- Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: Isaiah Washington(2007)
- Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series: Shonda Rhimes (It's the End Of The World, As We Know It) (2007)
- Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2006)
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series: Patrick Dempsey (2006)
- Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media: Alexandra Patsavas, Mitchell Leib (2007)
Australian Television Award: Best Up & Coming New Drama (2001)
DVD releases
Buena Vista Home Entertainment has released the first two seasons of Grey's Anatomy on DVD in Region 1 & Region 2.
Season releases
| DVD Name | Release Date | Ep # | Discs | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 [Region 1] | February 14 2006 | 9 | 2 | Alternate title sequence, audio commentaries, an extended pilot episode and a making-of featurette, Easter Egg (disc 2). |
| Season 1 [Region 2] | February 14 2006 | 14 | 3 | Alternate title sequence, audio commentaries, an extended pilot episode and a making-of featurette. |
| Season 2 [Region 1] | September 12 2006 | 27 | 6 | The Doctors Are In and The Softer Side of Dr. Bailey featurette, Exclusive set tour, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, Extended episodes for Thanks for the Memories, It's The End of the World, What Have I Done To Deserve This? and Losing My Religion. |
| Season 2 [Region 2] | May 28 2007 | 22 | 7 | The Doctors Are In and The Softer Side of Dr. Bailey featurette, Exclusive set tour, deleted scenes, audio commentaries for Into You Like a Train, It's the End of the World (As We Know It), and Losing My Religion, Extended episodes for Thanks for the Memories, It's The End of the World and As We Know It, What Have I Done To Deserve This? and Losing My Religion. |
| Season 2 [Region 4] | January 8 2007 | 27 | 8 | The Doctors Are In and The Softer Side of Dr. Bailey featurette, Exclusive set tour, deleted scenes, audio commentaries for Into You Like a Train, It's the End of the World (As We Know It), and Losing My Religion, Extended episodes for Thanks for the Memories, It's The End of the World and As We Know It, What Have I Done To Deserve This? and Losing My Religion. |
| Season 3 [Region 1] | September 11 2007 | 25 | 7 | Seriously Extended edition: 4 extended episodes, a "one-on-one with Ellen Pompeo", a visit to the race track with star Patrick Dempsey, Cast and Crew favorite scenes featurette, and a cast commentary on selected episodes. |
Other releases
The producers of Grey's Anatomy recently released a novel depicting the lives and minglings of two bit-part characters; Joe the Bartender and Nurse Debbie. The book is double sided written in blog and IM form, while gossiping on the actions of the Grey's characters. The events discussed give background information for Joe and Debbie themselves and give insight on the events and cases the doctors deal with in the show.
A bi-monthly magazine has also been produced and has hit stores across Canada and the United States. The title of the magazine is GREY'S ANATOMY and it is a published work through Titan Magazines, and ExpressMag (for subscriptions). The first issue was released in March 2007
Music
The show's main title theme is a snippet of "Cosy in the Rocket", by British artists Psapp. It is featured in the soundtrack album released via ABC corporate cousin Hollywood Records on September 27, 2005. A list of all the songs aired for each episode can be found on the program's official website. [1]
Grey's Anatomy has been instrumental to the success of Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" and The Fray's "How to Save a Life", both of which became top 5 hits after appearing in the show. "How to Save a Life" was the song used for all Grey's Anatomy previews, as well as being the music for the show's Season 3 promotional music video. While the popularity of "How to Save a Life" was largely credited to its use in Grey's Anatomy, the song had already been used during a cliffhanger episode of NBC's Scrubs titled "My Lunch." There was also a Season Two video with Chasing Cars as its track.
However, in another instance of "borrowing" from NBC's Scrubs, the show has used two artists who made their breakthrough on the comedy, Joshua Radin and Cary Brothers. The two artists feature quite prominently on Scrubs due to their connection with Main Lead, Zach Braff.
The Greenskeepers' song "Lotion" was featured prominently in the season 2 episode "Much Too Much," which was originally broadcast on November 27, 2005. As the song plays in the background, Dr. George O'Malley tells Dr. Meredith Grey that if she does not curb her recent promiscuity, she will end up in a pit with a killer ordering her to rub the lotion on her skin; a reference to the movie Silence of the Lambs which "Lotion" also pays homage to. "You Don't Know Me" and French band Los Chicros' "Back in the Wild" remixed by the same band have also been featured on Grey's Anatomy.
A second soundtrack, featuring songs from Season Two, was released September 12, 2006.
Music plays a key role in the creation of Grey's Anatomy. Each episode of the show is uniquely named after a song. With names like "A Hard Day's Night" (a popular tune by The Beatles) and "Losing My Religion" (made popular by R.E.M.) this show stands out from other TV dramas. The episode titles usually have something to do with the theme or moral of the episode's storyline and this moral is reproduced by the voice-overs heard at the beginning and end of each episode.
Many artists are featured time and again in episodes on Grey's Anatomy. Tegan and Sara, Kate Havnevik, Roison Murphy, Gomez, Butterfly Boucher, Snow Patrol, Wilco, Mat Kearney, Paolo Nutini, Ingrid Michaelson, Amy Winehouse, The Fray, Psapp, Jem, Brandi Carlile, Beck, Let's Go Sailing, Anya Marina, Damien Rice, K.T Tunstall, Metric, and Aqualung are just a few of the many artists who have received rave reviews after being featured several times on the Grey's overall soundtrack.
Catchphrases
The characters on Grey's Anatomy speak in a very contemporary way, resulting in unique dialogue. As a result, the show has spawned several catchphrases, a few of which are only used once or a few times. The use is noted in the following form (Season it was first coined, Episode # of that season).
- A trend began of "McLabeling" characters or adding "Mc" to other terms, such as "McDreamy" (1.02) as a nickname for Derek Shepherd. 'McDreamy' is the most used, and most quoted McWord in the series, and is used by many fans when talking about Derek Shepherd. Many other instances have occurred throughout the show such as "McSteamy" for Mark Sloan (2.18), "McVet" for Finn Dandridge and "McHottie" for Derek Shepherd's sister, Nancy. Izzie also called Nancy "McBitchy" (3:06). When George is asked to pretend to be Cristina for Meredith, he imitates her by saying, "McDreamy did the McNasty with McHottie... that McBastard", (3.06). When George and Alex were talking about Addison they said "She's McHot" "McYeah She is". The characters often mock their own tendency for "McLabeling", leading to phrases like "McDouchey", (2.14), "McVomit" (2.18), "McGuilty", (3.01) "McSex", (3.09), and "McFricking Code of Silence" (3.09).
- Meredith often uses well-known phrases but trails off at the end and replaces the last word with "whatever": "Have fun with your space or whatever" (3.07) "There's too much water under the thing or whatever" (3.07), "You are not my knight in shining whatever" (3.15), and "I had a near-death whatever" (3.18).
- The characters often say "seriously", usually at the end of a sentence, as a question or as a pronouncement. On the "Frequently Asked Questions" page on the show's website at ABC.com and the audio commentaries, creator Shonda Rhimes explains that one of the writers, Krista Vernoff, used the saying all the time and it spread to the writing staff, and eventually, to the dialogue.
- As mentioned in podcasts, network censors make it difficult for writers to use the word "vagina", which has led to several euphemisms for female genitalia or other sexually-related terms. These include "va-jay-jay", used by Dr. Miranda Bailey (2.17), "good girl" (2.24), and "hoo-hoo", used by Dr. Meredith Grey (3.21). In addition, in episode 2.26, the phrase "cashing in [her] V-card" was used by Adele Webber (Dr. Richard Webber's wife) as a euphemism for losing one's virginity.
Networks
First run
Grey's Anatomy is broadcast on the following channels around the world:
UK
Grey's Anatomy is shown firstly on cable channel Living and then on national terrestrial channel, Five, the first season as the producers intended, i.e. up to episode 5 of season 2. Five premièred the rest of season 2 in March 2007, with a big advertising campaign with phrases such as Love is inoperable and Worth getting sick for.
Living premiered the third season of the show on Thursday May 24th at 10pm (and +1 on its timeshift channel).
Australia
Grey's Anatomy originally at 9.30 on Mondays, following Desperate Housewives, and soon after took its Monday 8.30 timeslot once DH had completed its run. Grey's re-claimed this spot again in 2006 with its second season. Season 1 was screened with the first 5 episodes of Season 2, as had been originally planned by Grey's producers. Season 3 premiered on February 18 at a new Sunday 8.30 timeslot against ratings-killer CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, its same rival on US television. Grey's Anatomy in its new Sunday timeslot managed to sustain its popularity (now aired after Ugly Betty). It has an average audience of 2.858.000 viewers beating its main opposition CSI (rating only for season airing since February 2007).
New Zealand
After 'Losing My Religion' aired in August of 2006, season 3 aired on February 8th, 2007. The first season started Wednesdays at 8:30. For season 2, it aired Monday nights at 9:30 following Desperate Housewives. It now airs on Thursdays at 8:30. [3]
Ireland
Grey's Anatomy was first aired on RTÉ One in may of 2005. It was used to replace popular US drama ER. The first season was launched using the slogan "My so called Mclife". It performed well in the cut throat 9:00-10:00PM Sunday night slot and got positive feed-back from critics. Despite this RTÉ felt the show could do better, due to the phenomenal success of Desperate Housewives on RTÉ One's sister network RTÉ Two.
Grey's Anatomy ended in August of 2006 and went off air for nine months. In this period RTE Television was restructured. Part of this restructuring included the moving of all foreign imports (except some exceptions including Eastenders and ER) to RTÉ Two. This meant that Greys Anatomy was moved to RTÉ TWO. In April of 2007 RTÉ announced that Greys Anatomy was to return for its second season on may 15th at 9.50pm on RTÉ TWO after Desperate Housewives. For the week starting on the 14th of may, Greys Anatomy made the front cover of three of Irelands most popular magazines, HOTPRESS, TVNOW and RTÉ Guide.
Strangely, RTÉ ended season one with episode 2x06, In to you like a train, and then skipped episodes 2x07 and 2x08, making the season 2 premier Thanks for the Memories.
Results show that vewership was up 92% for season 2.
Syndication
Grey's Anatomy began airing in syndication in the United States on Lifetime Television on January 7, 2007 at 11 pm. Initially, the show is airing once a week beginning with the first season. In Fall 2009, Lifetime can begin airing the show daily. Lifetime will pay $1.2 million per episode, for up to 200 episodes.[24] In Canada, CTV played episodes in the summer.
References
- ^ Grey's Anatomy Magazine, First Issue
- ^ "More Grey's Days for Katherine Heigl".
- ^ http://abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=09206_03 ABCMediaNet press release
- ^ Grey's Anatomy Season 1 DVD cast commentary
- ^ "2004-05 Final audience and ratings figures". Hollywood Reporter. May 27, 2005.
- ^ "2005-06 primetime wrap". Hollywood Reporter. May 26, 2006.
- ^ a b "Hollywood Reporter: 2006-07 primetime wrap". May 25 2007.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|source=ignored (help) - ^ ABC Fall 2006 Schedule, Zap2It.com, July 11, 2006
- ^ Media Life Magazine
- ^ Ausiello, Michael. "Exclusive! Grey's Fires Isaiah Washington" Ausiello-Report. TV guide (June 7, 2007)
- ^ "ABC's 'Grey's Anatomy' planning to add several new cast members".
- ^ "Shonda Rhimes on Burning Down The House..." Grey Matter. (May 17, 2007).
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); External link in|publisher= - ^ "Grey's" creator speaks, says little, The Money Times, June 16, 2007
- ^ "'Anatomy' Lesson Follows on Super Bowl" Zap2It, October 31, 2005.
- ^ When a Broken Heart Feels Like a Heart Attack, June 22, 2006, ABCNews.com
- ^ Thriving on Half a Brain, May 12, 2006, ABCNews.com
- ^ http://www.buddytv.com/articles/24/bill-clinton-loves-24-greys-an-5382.aspx
- ^ A Resident's Review, Chronicles of a Medical Mad House, May 9, 2005
- ^ TV Squad Review: "Into You Like a Train", October 30, 2005
- ^ Grey's Stars Still Seeing Red over Slur, January 17, 2007, eonline.com
- ^ "Washington Out of `Grey's Anatomy'". The Washington Post. 2007-06-08. Retrieved 2007-06-08.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "WASHINGTON: 'I'D CONSIDER A GREY'S ANATOMY CAMEO'".
- ^ Barnes, Brooks (2007-02-21). "Delicate Surgery on 'Grey's Anatomy'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- ^ "Lifetime snatches "Grey's Anatomy" reruns", Reuters, July 24, 2006
External links
- ABC.com: Grey's Anatomy
- "Grey's Anatomy" at Yahoo! TV
- Grey Matter Writers' Blog
- Irish website
- English website
- Michelle's Site
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- Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from May 2007
- 2005 television program debuts
- 2000s American television series
- American Broadcasting Company network shows
- Drama television series
- Five television programmes
- Grey's Anatomy
- Medical television series
- Television series by Buena Vista Television
- Television shows set in Washington
- Soap operas