‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Showrunner Krista Vernoff Addresses Series Possibly Coming To An End As Negotiations For Season 18 Continue

ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy is about two-thirds into filming Season 17 with no definitive answer yet whether it will be the venerable medical drama’s last.

“I don’t know yet,” Grey’s executive producer/showrunner Krista Vernoff told Deadline in an interview this week tied to Grey’s Anatomy and spinoff Station 19‘s return from hiatus tomorrow, March 11. Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo was equally noncommittal recently, saying in an interview t, “We honestly have not decided. We’re really trying to figure it out right now.”

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While Vernoff is planning for a Season 17 season and series finale, sources are optimistic that deals would be reached to extend television’s longest-running medical drama. Talks have been ongoing, with ABC considering both a one-season and two-season renewals for Grey’s Anatomy, I hear. A one-season pickup is considered more likely.

Pompeo previously closed a big two-year deal for Seasons 16 and 17, which is coming to an end. She has been negotiating a new extension, and talks have looked promising lately. Separately, Vernoff has been negotiating a new deal with Grey’s producer ABC Signature, which has been going well.

With so many moving pieces, the future of Grey’s Anatomy is coming down to the wire. Given the series’ legacy and importance to ABC where it remains the No.1 scripted series, the network and its sister studio are going to great lengths to ensure a proper ending for Grey’s and a final chapter.

Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy are returning with a powerful crossover event tomorrow, March 11, which is being delayed on the East Coast by President Joe Biden’s televised address.

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