Grey's Anatomy

Grey's Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy intertitle
Genre	Medical drama
Created by	Shonda Rhimes
Starring	Ellen Pompeo Sandra Oh Katherine Heigl Justin Chambers T. R. Knight Chandra Wilson James Pickens, Jr. Sara Ramírez Eric Dane Chyler Leigh Kevin McKidd Patrick Dempsey
Narrated by	Ellen Pompeo (as Meredith), occasionally narrated by other main cast characters
Theme music composer	Psapp
Opening theme	"Cosy in the Rocket"
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	95 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Shonda Rhimes Betsy Beers Mark Gordon Krista Vernoff Rob Corn Mark Wilding
Production location	Los Angeles
Running time	approx. 43 minutes
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	March 27, 2005 – present
Related
Private Practice

Grey’s Anatomy is an American primetime medical drama. It debuted on ABC as a mid-season replacement for Boston Legal on March 27, 2005, immediately following Desperate Housewives.

The title of the show is inspired by the classic medical textbook Gray's Anatomy. The series revolves around Dr. Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo, who began the show as a surgical intern at Seattle Grace Hospital in Template:City-state.

Name

Meredith Grey, a surgical resident, is the title character of the series Grey's Anatomy; her name is a reference to Henry Gray, the original author of the textbook Gray's Anatomy. Printed under the current title, "Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body", as the 40th British edition in September 2008, the textbook on human anatomy has become a classic in medical schools, since first being published in 1858.

As a drama series the show has many correct medical references to work by real surgeons in medical history. For example, Dr. Virginia Dixon made a reference to Dr. Christiaan Barnard, the surgeon who performed the first human heart transplant in December, 1967.

Cast and characters

Main article: List of characters from Grey's Anatomy

The characters of the series include a group of surgical interns and the various physicians who serve as mentors to the interns in their professional and personal lives. The show's producers used a "blind-casting" technique, resulting in a racially diverse cast. All roles for Grey’s Anatomy are cast without the characters' races being pre-specified, in keeping with creator Shonda Rhimes's vision of diversity. The five characters who serve as the series' focal point are Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), George O'Malley (T. R. Knight), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) and Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh). They begin the series as interns at Seattle Grace Hospital, progressing to residency after their first year in the surgical program. They are initially mentored by Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), a general surgeon who becomes the hospital's Chief Resident and later applies for a pediatric surgery fellowship. The surgical program is run by Chief of Surgery Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.) who has a pre-existing personal relationship with Meredith, having dated her mother when Meredith was a child. In Webber's employ are attending physicians Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) and Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington), who specialise in neurosurgery and cardiothoracic surgery respectively. Derek is introduced as Meredith's love interest, while Preston begins a relationship with Cristina, but ultimately leaves her at the altar. Washington was written out of the show after allegedly directing homophobic slurs at Knight.

Introduced in the show's second season are OB-GYN and neonatal surgeon Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), plastic surgeon Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), orthopedic surgeon Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) and cardiothoracic surgeon Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith). Addison is Derek's ex-wife who arrives in Seattle seeking a reconciliation with him. Walsh left the series in its third season to star in spin-off Private Practice, but continues to make occasional guest appearances in Grey's Anatomy. Mark is Derek's former best friend, who aided in the breakdown of his marriage by having an affair with Addison. Callie is introduced as a love-interest for George, who she later marries, but ultimately divorces. Erica replaces Preston as head of cardiothoracic surgery and begins a lesbian relationship with Callie, however leaves abruptly in the show's fifth series. Smith's removal from the show was criticized in the media as revealing an anti-homosexual agenda on the part of ABC.

The third season introduces intern Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh), Meredith's half-sister. She forms a fast friendship with George, and harbours romantic feelings towards him which go unreciprocated. She later embarks on a relationship with Mark. A second intern, Sadie Harris (Melissa George) is introduced in the show's fifth season, however George's did not go on to become a series regular, criticizing the show's writers for severely restricting her character's growth. Also introduced in the show's fifth season are trauma surgeon Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), cardiothoracic surgeon Virginia Dixon (Mary McDonnell) and pediatric surgeon Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw). Owen becomes a love-interest for Cristina, Richard attempts to convince Virginia to replace Erica as head of cardiothoracics, and Arizona becomes a love-interest for Callie.

Seasons

See also: List of Grey's Anatomy episodes

Season One: 2005

Main article: Grey's Anatomy (season 1)

Nielsen Ranking (2004-05 U.S. TV season; based on average total viewers per episode): #9 (18.5 million viewers)

File:Greys-anatomy-1-cast.jpg

The season 1 cast of Grey’s Anatomy

Season one began airing Sunday, 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, the 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 become her closest friends during the intern program. Other characters include Dr. Miranda Bailey, Alex Karev, an intern who is not very popular with the others (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 internship 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, Izzie dealing with the criticism of being a former model, Cristina's relationship with Burke and her miscarriage, 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, although for other areas where the season was aired, Meredith waiting (Season 2, Episode 5) was the season finale instead.

Season Two: 2005-2006

Main article: Grey's Anatomy (season 2)

Nielsen Ranking (2005-06 U.S. TV season; based on average total viewers per episode): #5 (21.3 million viewers)

File:Fullcast-s2a.jpg

The season 2 cast of Grey’s Anatomy

The second season aired Sunday, September 25, 2005, and ended on May 14 and May 15, 2006 with a three-hour finale spanning both nights. The first season had 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 time slot before Grey’s Anatomy for the first two seasons).

Rather than condensing or throwing out plot lines, Grey’s Anatomy producers chose to end the first 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. 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 Derek's relationship, which comes to an abrupt halt when it is revealed that Derek is married to neo-natal surgeon Addison Montgomery. Izzie and Alex 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 Preston Burke. Doctor Bailey becomes pregnant, and more is revealed about her personal life. 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 by the last half of the second season, replaced by 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 Three: 2006-2007

Main article: Grey's Anatomy (season 3)

Nielsen Ranking (2006-07 U.S. TV season; based on average total viewers per episode): #4 (22.3 million viewers)

File:Greys-anatomy-3-cast.JPG

The season 3 cast of Grey’s Anatomy

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, 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." The season focused on Izzie's struggle to let go of Denny, Meredith's choice between Finn and Derek, the ramifications of Burke's injury and the decision between the four attending surgeons as to the new Chief of Surgery and between the residents for Chief Resident. 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 No. 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.

The third season ended on May 17, 2007. As the season came to a close, Burke called off his wedding to Cristina at the church, Chief Webber stayed on as the Chief of Surgery, Callie was appointed Chief Resident, and George learned he failed the final intern exam. The character of Preston Burke was permanently written out of the show and Isaiah Washington made his final appearance in the season finale. The relationship between Derek and Meredith, as well as the triangle between Callie, George, and Izzie were left unresolved. Addison decides to start a new life in Los Angeles in the spin-off Private Practice, and her character has since returned twice to Grey's Anatomy, once in season four and in a multi-episode crossover arc between Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy in season five of Grey's Anatomy

Season Four: 2007-2008

Main article: Grey's Anatomy (season 4)

Nielsen Ranking (2007–08 U.S. TV season; based on average total viewers per episode): #8 (15.9 million viewers)

File:Normal 1001.jpg

The season 4 cast of Grey’s Anatomy

The show was renewed for a fourth season, with the first episode airing on September 27, 2007.

In the official blog, creator Shonda Rhimes gave a few clues as to plot lines for season four, indicating that Mark Sloan will be given a bigger role and in the aftermath of the finale, events for Derek Shepherd and Cristina Yang will be "interesting to watch." Due to her producing responsibilities on both Grey’s and the spin-off, Rhimes assigned the day-to-day showrunning duties to writer and executive producer Krista Vernoff.

For the first time in the show's history, two of the series regulars were not returning. Kate Walsh's character was transferred to the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off, Private Practice. On June 7, 2007, it was announced that Isaiah Washington's contract had not been renewed. Former Reunion star, Chyler Leigh, guest starred in the final two episodes of season three as Lexie Grey, a new intern and Meredith Grey’s younger half-sister. On June 11, 2007, it was announced that Leigh would become a series regular, instead of a 13 episode story arc as previously planned.

The character Dr. Erica Hahn (The Silence of the Lambs fame actress Brooke Smith) joined the main cast, reprising her antagonizing role in the season's fifth episode. She replaces Preston Burke as head of Cardiothoracics. Upon her return, she makes Sandra Oh's character, Cristina Yang work harder for her success in Cardiothoracics.

It was once reported that a new male character would be introduced in season four. This character would somehow be in "competition" with Dr. Derek Shepherd. This idea was obviously not put into fruition until the next season, with the arrival of Dr. Owen Hunt. Fourth season guest stars included former Gilmore Girls actor Edward Herrmann who appeared in three episodes. Seth Green of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame guest starred in a two-part episode. Lauren Stamile plays a scrub nurse named Rose, who became a potential love interest for Derek. Dawson's Creek alumnus Joshua Jackson was scheduled to make his return to television in a multi-episode arc as a doctor with his first appearance in the season's eleventh episode. Jackson's appearance was cancelled due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Kate Walsh returned as Dr. Addison Montgomery for the May 1 episode, Piece of My Heart. Her appearance played a pivotal role in the burgeoning romance between Dr. Erica Hahn and Dr. Callie Torres, as she was the first one to suggest that perhaps they were an item.

On February 20, 2008, it was confirmed that Grey’s Anatomy would return on April 24, 2008 for five new episodes. Where the Wild Things Are was the first episode shown after the incubation resulted from WGA strike. The double episode finale (Freedom) aired May 22, 2008. It was centered around Meredith having a huge breakthrough with her personal life including Derek and her mother. Meredith and Derek performed clinical trials on patients with brain tumors. They lost all of their patients except for one whose boyfriend died just before her life saving surgery. After finally succeeding, Meredith took a risk and reunited with Derek. Almost all the cast had a kiss, including Meredith and Derek, George and Lexie, Richard and Adele, Alex and Izzie, and, Erica and Callie. To prepare for the lesbian story line, which continued momentarily in season five, Grey’s consulted with GLAAD. At the end, Derek goes to his camper in search of Meredith, only to find her waiting on his land with candles dividing each room of their could-be "home". They kiss, and Derek leaves her long enough to break up with Rose.

Season Five: 2008-2009

Main article: Grey's Anatomy (season 5)

The fifth season premiered with a two-hour episode on September 25, 2008, directly after the third season premiere of Ugly Betty. Regular one-hour episodes of the series began airing in the U.S. on October 9, 2008, following the October 2 coverage of the 2008 Vice Presidential Debate. OK! magazine reported that Katherine Heigl was remaining with Grey's Anatomy, and that Kevin McKidd and Melissa George were being added to the cast. On November 3, 2008 it was announced that Brooke Smith (Erica Hahn) had been written out of the show. Before the announcement of Smith's departure, it was announced that Mary McDonnell would appear as Virginia Dixon a cardiothoracic surgeon with Asperger's Syndrome.. It has also been announced that Melissa George would not be remaining as a series regular, and her run on the show would end after her character, Sadie Harris, decides to leave the hospital.

On November 6 2008, TV Guide reported that Grey’s Anatomy will feature a multi-episode crossover arc with spin-off Private Practice in time for February sweeps.

Unlike previous seasons, this season has not prominently featured the romance of Meredith and Derek until now. The season has focused on several different things--Derek's discovery of Meredith's mother's journals from when she was a resident; Meredith's reaction to the journals;Lexie and her fellow interns performing procedures on each other (from injections to surgeries) in an attempt to learn things they believe they are not learning from their residents; the appearance of Meredith's old friend, Sadie, back into Meredith's life and Christina's reaction to this; the reappearance of Denny Duquette, who is appearing to Izzie Stevens as a hallucination of some sort; the intensity rising between the residents as an opportunity for a solo surgery comes into play; the new-found romances in other characters' lives such as McSteamy and Callie; and the increasing amount of involvement there is with the patients coming into Seattle Grace. Rhimes has announced that contrary to popular speculation, the appearance of 'Dead Denny' is not due to a brain tumor. In fact, recent episodes reveal what exactly he is doing back in Izzie's life and what is to happen in the next ones to come. After learning of her disease, she lets the interns diagnose a "patient x", unaware that it is her. The interns diagnose her with a malignant melanoma that has spread to the brain, skin and liver, giving her only a 5% survival rate. Derek is set to operate on her, being one of the few doctors in the world that can save her.

A new romance for Dr. Calliope Torres was also a plotline on recent episodes, as she met new head of Pediatric Surgery, Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), who is apparently attracted by her. They both shared a kiss in Joe's bar, as they almost met for the very first time. However, Callie's lack of experience with homosexual relationships seemed to make Arizona hesitate in the following episodes, stating she didn't want to deal also with "babies" in her personal life.

It was announced that Jessica Capshaw has made a deal with ABC, giving her the opportunity to be featured as Dr. Robbins on all Season 5 episodes to come, and to even become a series' regular next year.

Dr. Bailey also made new experiences this season. As the Chief announced her he had made the request to promote her as an attending in General Surgery, one of Dr. Dixon's comments about the way she cared about kids made her change her mind, choosing Pediatric Surgery as a specialty instead. Convinced by Dr. Robbins, she made an application for a Pediatric Surgery fellowship. However, she was unsatisfied with the Chief's recommendation letter.

Cristina had to deal with the reappearance of Dr. Hunt's old fiancée, with whom he had briefly broke up without telling her he was coming back from war. However, he showed her he would stick with her after a case they shared with an older surgeon who was asked to retire, saying he hoped to still be there for Cristina during the years to come.

The new relationship between Dr. Sloan and Lexie, Meredith's younger sister, was also a plotline. They kept the secret for a moment, Lexie being even covered by Sadie after Mark's "injury", but Lexie asked him to go public with her. During the last episode of the crossover between Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, Mark told Derek about his new love, but the latter didn't quite appreciate it, especially after the rough day he had had. They had a fight because of it.

Production

Locations

Fisher Plaza, which houses Seattle's ABC affiliate KOMO-TV, is used for some exterior shots of Seattle Grace Hospital, such as air ambulances landing on the KOMO-TV news helicopter helipad. 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. While the interior of Meredith's house is a built set, the actual home used for exterior shots is in Seattle.

Rise to prominence

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. 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.

Dismissals

Isaiah Washington

In October 2006, as season 3 began, the show's actors attracted media attention when Isaiah Washington allegedly called T.R. Knight a "faggot" during an on-set altercation with Patrick Dempsey. Afterward, Knight came out about his sexual orientation, following the attendant media speculation. While Washington denied using the word, he issued a public statement apologizing for his "unfortunate use of words."

The controversy was reignited at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards, after the show won for Best Drama Series, the cast and crew appeared in the press room to answer reporters' questions. While creator Shonda Rhimes was being asked about the incident, Washington unexpectedly stepped in front of the microphone and responded: "No, I did not call T.R. a faggot." (The Hollywood Foreign Press Association placed the footage on their website.)

Afterward, in an interview with Access Hollywood, Katherine Heigl criticized Washington for revisiting the incident publicly and using the slur in the press room, and said "he needs to just not speak in public. Period." Later that week, Knight appeared on Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show and said he and others had heard Washington use the slur during the October incident.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation then called on Washington to apologize. 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.

Nevertheless, on June 7, 2007, ABC announced they had decided not to renew Washington's contract, and that he would be dropped from the show. Washington's response, in a statement released by his publicist, was "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore." He has also spoken out about the controversy and said that "I have to clear my name. I'll start from the beginning. I'm telling everything. So here's the truth ... I used the word during a disagreement with Patrick Dempsey. I apologized for that. We shook hands and went back to work." He has also stated that it was Knight who spun the slur into a personal attack, alleging it may have been to increase his salary or story lines; Washington has also said he is considering legal action. He has stated that Patrick Dempsey will support him in saying the previous statement.

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 appearance on the show, he would not hesitate to say "yes".

The image of Washington's character (Preston Burke) was used in advertisements for the May 9, 2008 episode entitled "The Becoming". The picture was shown in a newspaper article announcing a medical award he (Burke) had received. After this aired, Washington's attorney Peter Nelson contacted ABC and SAG and cited this as an unlawful use of his client's image. His publicist, Howard Bragman, pointed out to the Hollywood Reporter that "they have the rights of the character to advance the story, but not the image" and stated he expected this to result in a "financial settlement".

Brooke Smith

On November 3, 2008, it was reported by Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello that Erica would depart from Grey's Anatomy on November 6. Series creator Shonda Rhimes issued the statement that "Brooke Smith was obviously not fired for playing a lesbian. Clearly it's not an issue as we have a lesbian character on the show -- Calliope Torres. Sara Ramirez is an incredible comedic and dramatic actress and we wanted to be able to play up her magic. Unfortunately, we did not find that the magic and chemistry with Brooke's character would sustain in the long run. The impact of the Callie/Erica relationship will be felt and played out in a story for Callie. I believe it belittles the relationship to simply replace Erica with 'another lesbian.' If you'll remember, Cristina mourned the loss of Burke for a full season."

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos reported that Smith's dismissal from the show was enforced by the ABC network, as part of an attempt to "de-gay" Grey's Anatomy. She revealed that as well as writing out the character Erica Hahn, Grey's Anatomy newcomer Melissa George would no longer be playing a bisexual character as announced. Brooke Smith, interviewed by Michael Ausiello, stated that:"I was very excited when they told me that Erica and Callie were going to have this relationship. And I really hoped we were going to show what happens when two women fall in love and that they were going to treat it like any heterosexual couple on TV. And so I was surprised and disappointed when they just suddenly told me that they couldn't write for my character anymore. [...] I found out in mid-September soon after shooting the monologue that aired last week where Erica has the revelation that she's gay. They even came down and told me it was a great scene -- one of the best they ever shot on the show. So I was really, really shocked. I was floored when they told me [I was being let go]. It was the last thing I expected. In fact, when they told me I asked, "When is this happening?" And they said, "The [next episode] is your last," which is the one that airs this Thursday. So it was very sudden."

Smith explained that the script for her final episode did not involve her character being written out, and that Erica's final scene on the show is "just [her] heading to [her] car." She agreed with the assessment that her dismissal originated from ABC and not Shonda Rhimes herself, stating: "It definitely seemed like [Shonda's] hands were tied."

Fan reaction was followed by a flow of articles from critics and reporters who felt the need to take a stand. Kristin Dos Santos of E! online reported that "Grey's has been de-gayed", Entertainment Weekly's Michael Slezak wrote the article "Brooke Smith's Grey's Anatomy ouster is not right and not okay" and while TV guide's Matt Mitovich reported "Grey's Actress "Really, Really Shocked" by Ouster from Show" in his other piece "GLAAD Sad about Grey's Lesbian-ectomy; Plus the Latest Scoop on Erica's Exit" he reports that "Contrary to some online accounts, Erica will not simply hop in her car and ride away at the end of this Thursday's episode. Rather, sources tell me, "significant events" transpiring during the episode will make very clear her reasons for leaving...". In the same article Mitovich makes known that The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in its president's statement said that "[W]e are disheartened that the burgeoning relationship between Callie and Erica on Grey's Anatomy has come to an end," GLAAD president Neil G. Giuliano said in a statement. "Because there are so few lesbian characters on network television, we hope that ABC and Grey's Anatomy will commit to further developing Callie's character and her relationships, and continue providing this important representation on one of TV's most-watched shows." The Los Angeles Times in its Critic's Notebook titled "Brooke Smith's firing is bad for Grey's Anatomy, and the world" also spoke of the issue as did many other publications.

On November 4, Grey's star Patrick Dempsey appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and read a statement from ABC that said that they had a great time working with Brooke and he said her storyline came to an end. Due to this decision, Erica Hahn made her last appearance on November 6, 2008. Brooke Smith claimed that her character was not even given a customary send off. She states, "I'm not written out. My final scene is just me heading to my car." This means that although her exit is ambiguous which could mean a guest appearance later on, Brooke Smith will no longer be a member of the cast after the November 6 episode airs.

Private Practice

Main article: 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. 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. The series aired its first nine episodes during fall 2007 on Wednesday nights on 9:00PM Eastern/8:00PM Central, premiering on September 26, 2007 on ABC. The premiere episode followed the second part of the season debut of Dancing with the Stars and provided a lead-in to fellow freshman series Dirty Sexy Money. Pushing Daisies, a third new series for the evening, rounded out the evening's lineup as a lead-in to Private Practice on October 3, 2007.

Reception

While the series garnered generally favorable ratings and a full-season episode order from ABC, production was halted on Private Practice after the ninth episode, due to the WGA strike which similarly halted the fourth season of Grey’s Anatomy. Upon resolution of the strike, ABC announced Private Practice would resume broadcasts of new episodes at the start of the 2008-2009 season, retaining its time slot alongside the other two series it had accompanied on Wednesday evenings during the previous season. The trio of programs had second season premieres on October 1, 2008.

Video game

Main article: Grey's Anatomy: The Video Game

In January 2008, Gameloft released an official mobile game based on the first three seasons of the drama series. Players can play as Meredith Grey and meet many other characters from the show.

In January 7, 2009 Ubisoft announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with ABC Studios to develop a video game based Grey’s Anatomy. Designed for the Wii, the Nintendo DS and PC, Grey’s Anatomy: The Video Game was released on March 10, 2009. The game will be a cross between Trauma Center and an adventure game, with players taking on the roles of the characters.

Reception

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)
1st	Sunday 10:00PM	March 27, 2005	May 22, 2005	2005	#9	18.5
2nd	Sunday 10:00PM	September 25, 2005	May 15, 2006	2005–2006	#5	21.3
3rd	Thursday 9:00PM	September 20, 2006	May 17, 2007	2006–2007	#4	22.3
4th	Thursday 9:00PM	September 27, 2007	May 22, 2008	2007–2008	#10	15.9
5th	Thursday 9:00PM	September 25, 2008	May 14th 2009	2008–2009	TBA	15.1

Awards

Among many others, Grey’s Anatomy is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning television show.

Main article: List of Grey's Anatomy awards and nominations

DVD releases

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (formerly Buena Vista Home Entertainment) has released seasons 1, 2 3, and 4 of Grey’s Anatomy on DVD in Region 1 & region 2 except season 4 as of yet.

Season releases

DVD Name	Release Date	Ep #	Discs	Additional Information
Season 1	February 14, 2006	9 (R2-14)	2	Alternate title sequence, audio commentaries, an extended pilot episode and a making-of featurette, Easter Egg (disc 2).
Season 2	September 12, 2006	27 (R2-22)	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 3	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.
Season 4	September 9, 2008	17	5	Expanded Edition: Extended episode of "Forever Young", the cast of Grey’s tell of their favorite scenes from Season 4, audio commentaries, deleted scenes and bloopers.
Season 5	September 15, 2009

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 is currently being sold in stores across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. 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.

In January 2008, Grey's Anatomy was made into a mobile game on behalf of video game publisher Gameloft. A Reuters.com article states that it "gives players and fans the chance to experience intense emotions and drama unique to their favorite show in unlimited different skill-based surgery mini-games taken from actual episodes of the show".

On March 10, 2009, Ubisoft will release Grey's Anatomy: The Video Game for the Wii, Nintendo DS, and PC. [3]

Music

See also: Grey's Anatomy (soundtrack)

The show's main title theme during its first two seasons is an excerpt of "Cosy in the Rocket", by British artist Psapp. It is featured on the soundtrack album released via ABC corporate cousin Hollywood Records on September 27, 2005. A list of all the songs featured in each episode, which are all selected, mixed and supervised by Alexandra Patsavas, can be found on the program's official website.[4] Patsavas similarly gained acclaim for selecting the music used for the FOX series The O.C. prior to her work with the ABC series. A second soundtrack, featuring songs from the series' second season, was released September 12, 2006, followed by a third soundtrack with music from the third season.

In addition to use within the series, certain songs have been become key to promotion of Grey’s Anatomy. Prior to the series debut, The Postal Service's song "Such Great Heights" was used as part of series previews aired on ABC. As the series has continued, it has been instrumental to the success of songs such as 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. Anna Nalick's "Breathe (2 A.M.)" also regained popularity after appearing in the "As We Know It" episode (the second of a two-part episode which premiered after Super Bowl XL). “Chasing Cars” gained in popularity after its use late in the second season, and was used in a video of second season clips. “How to Save a Life” was the song used for the series' third season promotional music video, and all Grey’s Anatomy previews for the season. Brandi Carlile’s “The Story” and Mat Kearney’s “Breathe In, Breathe Out” have also been featured prominently.

Music plays a key role in the creation of Grey’s Anatomy. Each episode of the show is uniquely named after a song. 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. Artists featured on Grey’s Anatomy include Meiko, Adele, Beck, Tegan and Sara, The Boy Least Likely To, Nouvelle Vague (band), Kate Havnevik, Róisín Murphy, Gemma Hayes, Snow Patrol, Kanye West, Interpol, Maria Taylor, Mat Kearney, Medeski Martin & Wood, Ingrid Michaelson, Joshua Radin, Jem, Brandi Carlile, Anya Marina, Erin McCarley, Duffy, Corinne Bailey Rae, Chris Garneau, Devics, KT Tunstall, Sia, Anna Nalick, Santigold, and Missy Higgins.

Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini specifically wrote the song "Beggar's Prayer" for use in the show, as did Ingrid Michaelson, whose song Keep Breathing was written specifically for Grey's Anatomy and was featured prominently in the third season finale. During the season five premiere, Taylor Swift debuted "White Horse" from her sophomore album, Fearless.

External links

• Official Website
• Grey Matter Writers' Blog
• Grey's Anatomy at IMDb
• Grey’s Anatomy at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show
• Grey’s Anatomy Wiki
• Grey's Anatomy at CTV (Canada)
• [5]