Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 Gets Mixed Update As SAG-AFTRA Strike Presses On
Grey’s Anatomy season 20 gets a mixed update in a new report on what could happen should the actors strike for fair wages resolve soon.
Grey’s Anatomy season 20 gets a mixed update as actors could continue their strike for fair wages and protections from AI. The long-running drama is set to return for its milestone twentieth installment, already with some big changes. Original star Ellen Pompeo will continue to narrate the ABC series, but she’ll have a reduced role on-screen as she focuses on other projects. There will also be a new showrunner, as Meg Marinis takes over for Krista Vernoff. But with the impact of the since-concluded writers strike and the ongoing actors strike, Grey’s Anatomy season 20 could see one other big change.
According to TVLine, ABC is making plans for how to move ahead if SAG-AFTRA reaches a deal with studios and streamers in this round of negotiations. In terms of the network’s dramas, such as Grey’s Anatomy, The Rookie, and The Good Doctor, the strike ending soon could mean a season of television that is as short as 10 episodes. That would be only one notch higher than the nine episodes the medical drama had during its first season, when it debuted as a midseason replacement for Boston Legal. But if a deal is reached, production could begin as early as December.
What A Short Grey’s Anatomy Season Could Mean
If a short season does move forward, particularly if it’s only ten episodes, the show could move away from its general weekly structure. Grey’s Anatomy season 19 focused on patients with mystery illnesses, the responsibility of teaching sex education to high school students, a woman who has a complicated pregnancy, and other largely standalone subplots, like a TV reporter whose helicopter gets struck by lightning.
If it only comes back for a short run, Grey’s Anatomy could potentially shift its focus to tell a serialized story that unfolds across all ten episodes. More broadly, it might mean that a reduced episode count becomes the norm for the medical drama. On the lower end, Grey’s has at times run for 17 and 20 episodes. If a shorter season proves to be successful, the series could permanently settle into a smaller run. It would match the shorter episode counts that have turned into standard practice across television.
Still, without a deal in place, it’s hard to say with any certainty what Grey’s Anatomy season 20 will look like. As it stands at the time of writing, the issue of AI remains the key disagreement between actors and Hollywood. There have been regular meetings and negotiations between the two sides, which is a positive sign that an agreement could still be made, but the deadline to salvage any kind of TV season is fast approaching.
Source: TVLine