Summary

Grey's Anatomy season 20 is on its way in 2024, and there's already much to discuss about the long-running medical drama's return. First airing in 2005, Grey's Anatomy initially followed the lives of Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and her intern class as they began their residency at Seattle Grace Hospital. While many of the subplots revolved around them solving complex medical cases or mysteries, the drama also explored the personal lives of the surgeons and allowed viewers to witness several iconic friendships and romances blossom.

Since the show now has 19 seasons, it's not surprising that many of the main characters have left Grey's Anatomy, and season 20 will see yet more changes. Still, that doesn't mean that Grey's Anatomy has ever lost momentum. The writers have constantly experimented with new romances and storylines to keep Grey's Anatomy as engaging and unpredictable as possible. Season 19 even included a new and refreshing intern class, who have been a big hit with audiences thanks to their amazing chemistry. However, the gripping cliffhanger in the two-hour season 19 finale, "Wedding Bell Blues/Happily Ever After," viewers are desperate for Grey's Anatomy season 20 news.

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ABC announced multiple release dates for scripted shows that the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes had delayed throughout 2023, including season 20 of Grey's Anatomy. The show will return to ABC in March 2024. It's unclear yet if there will be a reduced episode count, as multiple ABC shows (as well as scripted content on other networks) have reported condensed seasons due to the delays.

The WGA strike was resolved on September 27th, 2023, and SAG/AFTRA strike was resolved on November 9th, 2023.

After it was announced that Ellen Pompeo was leaving Grey's Anatomy after season 19 (via Parade), there was some speculation about whether the show would continue without her. However, these issues were resolved quickly by March 24, 2023, when Grey's Anatomy season 20 was officially renewed by ABC (via Variety).

The Grey's Anatomy season 20 release date has been set for March 14, 2024. Season 20 looks in many ways to be a reinvention for Grey's Anatomy, since lead Ellen Pompeo isn't the only mainstay making her exit after season 19. The series will also be changing behind the scenes, and Krista Vernoff announced she was stepping down as Grey's Anatomy's head showrunner. Taking over her role for Grey's Anatomy season 20 is Meg Marinis, who has been part of the crew for many years, helping with producing, research, and editing.

Immediately after the Grey's Anatomy season 19 finale, there were reports about how several longtime Grey's Anatomy cast members were returning for season 20. So far, Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey), James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber), Camilla Luddington (Jo Wilson), Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt), and Caterina Scorsone (Amelia Shepherd) have all chosen to return for the Grey's Anatomy season 20 cast. According to TV Line, Kim Raver (Teddy Altman) is also set to appear in season 20 as well.

While other cast members haven't been confirmed, the following will likely reprise their roles:

Actor

Grey's Anatomy Role

Harry Shum Jr.

Benson "Blue" Kwan

Adelaide Kane

Jules Millin

Niko Terho

Lucas Adams

Alexis Floyd

Simone Griffith

Midori Francis

Mika Yasuda

Chris Cormack

Atticus Lincoln

Jaicy Elliot

Taryn Helm

Debby Allen

Catherine Fox

After Ellen Pompeo announced her departure from Grey's Anatomy (which resulted in Meredith Grey moving to Boston to find a cure for Alzheimer's), audiences also had to goodbye to another favorite character. Kelly McCreary announced that she was leaving the show after season 19 too. After playing Maggie Pierce in Grey's Anatomy for nine years, McCreary decided to leave the hospital drama behind her to pursue other opportunities (via Deadline). However, that doesn't mean that her character can't return, as the writers left the door open for her to come back.

After the climactic Grey's Anatomy season 19 finale, which saw multiple couples confess their love for one another, Teddy Altman's life hung in the balance after she collapsed in the OR from a toothache. The Grey's Anatomy season 20 story will likely follow up the events of what happened, and also explore the romances between Jo and Link, Simone and Lucas, Helm and Mika, and potentially Jules and Kwan too.

Grey's Anatomy season 20 could also see Lucas, Simone, or Kwan being punished for performing unauthorized surgery/ignoring a patient's DNR. However, as with prior seasons, plot details will likely be kept a closely guarded secret until much closer to the 2024 release date.

Read more:
Grey's Anatomy Season 20: Release Date, Cast, Story & Everything We Know - Screen Rant