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Tonight’s the night. On March 11, Grey’s Anatomy and the firefighter spinoff, Station 19, will return to ABC with the next all-new crossover event. The two Shondaland shows have captured fans over the past few years. Now, some viewers are wondering whether the franchise will continue to grow. But recently, Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 showrunner Krista Vernoff hinted that another spinoff series isn’t part of the plan — at least not yet. 

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ has two spinoffs, ‘Station 19’ and ‘Private Practice’

Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd looking up in 'Grey's Anatomy' Season 17 Episode 7
Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 17 | Ron Batzdorff via Getty Images

As you may know, Grey’s Anatomy has had two spinoff shows since its debut in 2005. The first spinoff was Private Practice, which followed Derek Shepherd’s (Patrick Dempsey) ex-wife, Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), after she left Seattle for LA. The show also introduced fans to Derek’s sister, Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), who is still part of the Grey’s Anatomy cast in season 17.

In the end, Private Practice ran for six seasons between 2007 and 2013. But the Grey’s Anatomy universe still continued to expand. The second spinoff, Station 19, was released in 2018. And as mentioned, the show is still going strong today.

Ultimately, the firefighter drama cast a lineup of new faces to play characters such as Andy Herrera (Jaina Lee Ortiz), Victoria “Vic” Hughes (Barrett Doss), Dean Miller (Okieriete Onaodowan), Maya Bishop (Danielle Savre), Travis Montgomery (Jay Hayden), and Jack Gibson (Grey Damon). But Station 19 stayed connected to the flagship series through fan-favorite Ben Warren (Jason George), who chose to become a firefighter during his surgical residency at Grey Sloan Memorial. 

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Station 19’ showrunner opens up about another spinoff series

Jaina Lee Ortiz as Andy Herrera and Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey from ‘Station 19’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Jaina Lee Ortiz as Andy Herrera and Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey from ‘Station 19’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ | Mitch Haaseth/Walt Disney Television via Getty Image

Now, Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 fans are gearing up for new episodes to return to ABC after a lengthy winter hiatus. But despite the success of both shows, it seems another spinoff isn’t coming anytime soon. 

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter from March 2021, Vernoff revealed the challenges amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have halted conversations about expanding the Grey’s Anatomy franchise. That said, the Rebel creator hinted that the discussion might resume once the team figures out how Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 will end. 

“It’s been so complicated and so difficult to come back to production during the pandemic,” Vernoff said when asked about another Grey’s Anatomy spinoff. “We are on fumes. I don’t really have creative space for imaginings of what might happen next year; I’m trying to get through this season.”

She continued, “Once I know if this is the final season or not, I can start to try to imagine other things. But trying to simultaneously plan for the end of the series and the end of the season — if it’s not the end of the series — it’s like breaking two shows. That’s what I’ve got bandwidth for. That, Station 19 and Rebel. That’s enough.”

What to expect when ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 17 and ‘Station 19’ Season 4 come back tonight, March 11

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Whether the Grey’s Anatomy universe expands in the future, fans still have plenty to look forward to. As mentioned, the next crossover with Station 19 will drop on Thursday, March 11. According to ABC, the new episodes will start airing immediately after President Joe Biden’s first primetime address, which is set to begin at 8 p.m. EST. But whenever the Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 and Station 19 Season 4 crossover drops, it’s bound to be one to watch. 

The synopsis for Station 19 Season 4 Episode 6 — titled “Train in Vain” — reveals the new episode will pick up where things left off. Carina (Stefania Spampinato) and Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) will continue to follow Opal, who is suspected of sex trafficking. Meanwhile, Dean and Vic will have a difficult time coping with Dean’s arrest from the midseason finale. Then Maya will leave Andy in charge of Station 19’s yearly inspection.

When the crossover event switches gears and starts Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Episode 7 — titled “Helplessly Hoping” — both teams will “tend to a tense situation with so much at stake.” But it also seems the upcoming episode will also include some fun moments. Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) and Cormac “McWidow” Hayes (Richard Flood) will “bend the rules.” Then Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) and Winston Ndugu (Anthony Hill) will finally reunite.

Clearly, there’s a lot going on when Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 return tonight, March 11. So stay tuned. 

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