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One of the highest-rated shows on television since its inception, Grey’s Anatomy continues to entertain, but will the critically acclaimed series survive? Can one change save Grey’s Anatomy? Those are questions a lot of fans are wondering.

When Grey’s Anatomy made its debut on ABC in March 2005, the show focused on the personal and professional relationships of a racially diverse group of medical residents, surgical interns, and seasoned doctors. Among the major characters in the show pilot was an ambitious young surgeon named Meredith Grey, who also happened to be the daughter of esteemed operating room physician, Ellis Grey.

Portrayed by Ellen Pompeo, Dr. Meredith Grey is one of only four characters who remain aboard the long-lived show. The three others who made it all the way to season 16 are doctors Miranda Bailey, Alex Karev, and Richard Webber.

Some still love ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

Ellen Pompeo on 'Grey's Anatomy'
Ellen Pompeo | Tony Rivetti/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images)

In February 2019, Grey’s Anatomy toppled the record previously held by ER as American television’s most enduring prime-time scripted medical drama, according to Vulture magazine. Readers may recall the long-running medical drama spurring the careers of George Clooney, Noah Wyle, Anthony Edwards, and Laura Innes.

Now in its 16th year, each 41-minute episode of Grey’s Anatomy typically opens with a foretelling narrative by Dr. Meredith Grey. But that might not be enough to keep the show alive.

Some say it’s time for ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ to end

According to TheTalko, there are 15 reasons why Grey’s Anatomy could have called it quits after the third season.

For instance, most of the original cast has moved on, “boring” new characters have been added, and the once-beloved medical drama has become virtually unrecognizable.

Can 1 change save ‘Grey’s Anatomy’?

Filmed primarily in sunny Southern California, Grey’s Anatomy is purported to take place at a Seattle teaching hospital named Grey Sloan Memorial.

Over the years, the primary characters of Grey’s Anatomy learned surgical techniques and hospital protocol while enduring a countless array of calamities, including bomb threats, plane crashes, and hospital fires, explains PopSugar.

Now that the lead characters have aged well beyond medical school, there’s not nearly as much teaching going on as there was in the first three seasons. And that may be the key to saving the show.

Regardless of whether Grey’s Anatomy enacts a major change, lead actress Ellen Pompeo may. Although the 50-year-old actress told Entertainment Weekly that she still cares “very much” about the series that sent her to stardom, she also noted that it’s about time to “mix it up” and that she was “definitely looking for a change” as long ago as 2018, explains TV Line.

The Massachusetts-born actress also said that she felt as if the majority of stories had already been told.

What do ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ fans want?

In a Reddit thread, critical viewers offered a range of suggestions that, if enacted, might save Grey’s Anatomy from cancellation. One Reddit commentator recommended that Alex’s sister become a bigger part of the storyline and that Meredith’s character should be given a brother.

One thing that’s certain is that when viewers originally fell in love with the show, Grey’s Anatomy featured a true-to-life medical drama that offered viewers a glimpse into the inner workings of an actual teaching hospital.

That’s what made Grey’s Anatomy a hit in the first place, and that’s what viewers want to see. If hungry new interns are introduced, and if medical teaching is reintroduced as the focus of the show, Grey’s Anatomy might make it into the foreseeable future.

[Correction: An earlier version said Ellen Pompeo is 60 years old. She is 50.]

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