Sometime ago, it was revealed that Grey’s Anatomy is:
- the highest rated ABC drama in the 18-49 demo
- ranks among the top 5 dramas on broadcast television
- the second highest rated returning drama on network tv (only behind Empire)
Reading the above, one might think that it’s not a big deal but here’s the kicker – Grey’s is in its 12th season!!!. If you think this is not a big deal, ask the rest of the TGIT pack that’s much younger and not pulling these merits (Scandal is down 17% in it’s 5th season while HTGAWM has fallen 30% in ratings in just its second season). As a long time watcher of the Grey’s, I felt happy for the how because I think it is truly deserving.
I want to say that I am pretty sure that if you read the title of my post and rolled your eyes, then I can almost guarantee that you currently do not watch the show. You probably watched in the beginning, ditched it during the turbulent times (when Izzie not only saw dead people but also slept with them) and declared Grey’s show non grata. But you are wrong, my friends. Grey’s got its groove back and became one of the best shows on TV right now.
I can’t even count the many things that make Grey’s great but I can try. Is it the quotes? the music? the eye candy? the emotional investment that is pre determined once you’re sucked in? One of the things, I have always admired about the show is how it has always had a diverse cast and never once made it feel like it was fulfilling some type of diversity quota, they just feel like people. Add that to every single character being fully fleshed out and given a meaty story line (no matter how annoying), you get the feeling that it truly is an ensemble cast.
Another of the things that I like, is it’s ability to maintain continuity in spite of the oh so many cast changes. It’s hard to believe that of the original cast from season 1, only 4 are left standing – Meredith, Alex, Bailey and Richard. We’ve had so many deaths and departures from Preston to Izzie to Yang to even beloved McDreamy and somehow they have managed to navigate and weave story lines and still keep the show going at interesting levels. I really wasn’t sure how the show was going to go on without Yang and Derek but I can honestly say that I don’t even miss Derek.
Anyways, if you watch the show you really don’t even need reasons because you already know them. I am not gonna act like it’s been smooth sailing all through, the show has definitely has its bumps but it deserves the resurgence that it is experiencing. Like a woman past a certain age in Hollywood, award shows don’t recognize the show anymore which is a damn shame. But that’s their loss, we loyal fans remain glued to our TV’s every Thursday. I’m not sure how much longer they have in them but in the mean time – Here’s to Grey’s Anatomy!!