Grey's Anatomy fans can rest easy, as creator Shonda Rhimes has teased she sees the show continuing for a long long time, as long as the fans are still on board.
The long-running medical drama is currently going strong with Grey's Anatomy season 19. From the sounds of things, there are no plans to bring it to an end even though lead star Ellen Pompeo (Dr. Meredith Grey) made the decision to leave the show earlier this year. We might even get another 19 seasons!
Speaking to E! News, Rhimes said: "I might be a very old lady by the time we reach its last season because it doesn't seem to be stopping.
"It's such an amazing show and it's doing so well as it's moving forward. I'm going to leave it alone and see where it goes, and we're going to stay a show as long as everybody wants to be there and as long as the fans want to be there", Shonda Rhimes added.
Rhimes went on to discuss Ellen Pompeo's open-ended exit from the series. "Having Ellen leave was heartbreaking for everybody, but also knowing that she could come back anytime was also important for me.
"Ellen's an amazing person and she and I have been having conversations the whole time, discussing when it was time and what it was feeling like. We've always been having those discussions because I've always wanted her to be excited and invested and enjoying herself as much as she was at the beginning."
Of course, Ellen Pompeo hasn't left the show behind entirely, as she's still on board to provide voiceovers for the show, which sounds like it made her departure less difficult.
"It was a little bit of a heartbreaking moment, but it was also a moment — for me —that she's not gone because she's coming back. I don't think of her as gone from the show, she's still doing the voiceovers, she's still there", Rhimes concluded.
With Grey's Anatomy's future looking bright, it's good to see Rhimes' Netflix period drama franchise, Bridgerton, performing just as well. Prequel series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story has just landed and immediately claimed the top spot in the Netflix Top 10, and we've got Bridgerton season 3 (and beyond) to look forward to later down the line.
Grey's Anatomy season 19 continues on Thursday, May 11 at 9 pm ET on ABC. UK-based fans can watch the latest series on Disney Plus.
