The Grey’s Anatomy spinoff will end this year with an abbreviated seventh season. With Station 19 and Grey’s serving as the only remaining shows on ABC produced by hitmaker Shonda Rhimes — who is now based exclusively at Netflix — why would the network ax one of its Thursday staples? The answer can be found in the math.
The Disney-owned broadcast network on Friday revealed that the upcoming seventh season of the firefighter-focused spinoff of Grey’s Anatomy will be its last.
Station 19 is set to hit its 100th episode in the 2023-24 season after ABC renewed the first-responders drama series for a seventh season. The network also has confirmed that Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige will serve as showrunners and exec producers after Deadline revealed that Krista Vernoff was stepping down from Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy, with the pair likely to step up.
The showrunner will exit at the end of the medical drama’s current 19th season and conclusion of the firefighter spinoff’s seventh season. There is no word on a new showrunner for both Shonda Rhimes-produced shows as ABC has yet to renew either. Sources say that Grey’s Anatomy, which is currently weathering the departure of leading lady Ellen Pompeo as a series regular, is likely to return for its landmark 20th season alongside spinoff Station 19.
ABC has renewed Station 19 for a sixth season, with Krista Vernoff remaining as showrunner. Through the first eight episodes of Season 5, the firefighter drama is averaging 6.3 million total viewers and a 1.0 demo rating (with Live+7 DVR playback), ranking third and second among all ABC dramas.
Ellen Pompeo and fellow original stars Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. have all closed rich new pacts to return to the flagship drama, with spinoff Station 19 also scoring a Season 5 pickup for the 2021-22 broadcast season.
Exclusives
The Disney-owned broadcast network has handed out an early fourth-season renewal for Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Station 19. The news comes as the current third cycle — the first since Grey’s showrunner Krista Vernoff took over the series — is having its most-watched season.
ABC is continuing its Thursday walks through Shondaland. The Alphabet has renewed Grey’s Anatomy for record 16th and 17th seasons, How to Get Away With Murder for a sixth season, and Station 19 for a third outing.
