Gray’s Anatomy is a dinosaur. A non-threatening, herbivorous dinosaur, actually – think about the Parasaurolophus, with its goofy banana head. However a dinosaur nonetheless. After this present season, its twentieth, Gray’s Anatomy will grow to be the sixth-longest-running scripted collection in tv historical past. It is going to be tied with American Dad and surpassed by solely The Simpsons, Legislation & Order, Legislation & Order SVU, Household Man, and NCIS, all of that are equally and miraculously nonetheless on the air.
Nonetheless, on this line-up, Gray’s is an anomaly. It’s live-action (learn: costly), and it isn’t a pure procedural, both. And but, which may be the important thing to its success: It has the core of a well-recognized medical procedural, however swaddles it in twisty storytelling, compelling instances, and loveable characters. Ever because it first launched viewers to MAGIC (Meredith, Alex, George, Izzie, and Cristina) in Season 1, the present has spent 400 episodes delivering sultry hookups, timeless friendships, and high-octane medical drama.
And contemplating its endurance, it’s no marvel that it has breathed life into so many different nice motion pictures and collection. Listed below are 7 of probably the most notable.
Find out how to Get Away with Homicide
Gray’s Anatomy was the primary TV collection that Shonda Rhimes ever created, so the then-fledgling screenwriter had excessive hopes for it. Fortunately, Rhimes’ huge danger paid off, and Gray’s not solely nabbed her an Emmy nomination, however gave her a clean verify to create a whole Shondaverse of wonderful exhibits. Her first main hit post-Gray’s was Non-public Observe; Scandal was to comply with. Nevertheless, Find out how to Get Away with Homicide, which she exec-produced, could also be her most enduring mid-2010s providing, because it turned Viola Davis from a essential darling right into a mainstream star. Additionally, who can neglect these steamy same-sex scenes, which had been in contrast to something on TV on the time.
The Lady King
One may argue that Find out how to Get Away with Homicide helped elevate Viola Davis’ profile in Hollywood – sufficient to achieve her actual affect amongst her friends. It’s because of that affect that allowed Davis to broaden her profession as a movie producer and in the end carry 2022’s The Lady King to life. This historic motion journey, which Davis produced and starred in, grew to become an sudden field workplace hit and a well-received providing throughout the board. That’s to not point out that its story, about an all-female warrior crew that protected an African kingdom within the nineteenth century, is unforgettable.
Killing Eve
Positive, you may argue that this darkish, twisted fairy story concerning the iconically stylish psychopath Villanelle (Jodie Comer) may need existed with out Sandra Oh, a Gray’s alum. However would it not have made it previous the pilot stage if anybody else had starred in it? Oh, who additionally exec-produced this genre-bending cult favourite, gained a Display Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe for her co-starring function because the obsessive, good Eve Polastri.
Firefly Lane
Firefly Lane is one other hit collection that got here to life with the assistance of a Gray’s alum within the exec-producer function. Katherine Heigl, who additionally stars on this standard Netflix collection, helped carry its story of putting up with feminine friendship to life. One may additionally argue that Gray’s influenced Firefly Lane by centering feminine friendships practically 20 years beforehand. In the end, Meredith and Cristina walked in order that Tully and Kate may … Nicely, stroll. We wouldn’t say that this present has surpassed Gray’s – regardless of how a lot Heigl would love that.
Chicago Med
Half-procedural, half relationship drama, half medical thriller … Sound acquainted? Although NBC’s flagship Chicago Med is just not the one addictive medical drama on the market, it does have a noticeably numerous solid – one thing that may be tied again to Gray’s. Shonda Rhimes herself instructed Selection in 2021: “I believe the legacy [of Grey’s] would possibly merely simply be that we made it attainable for extra individuals of coloration to have jobs on digital camera on tv … which makes me embarrassed for tv.”
Bridgerton
This one is a no brainer. It was the first-ever Rhimes-produced scripted collection to bloom from her ongoing cope with the streamer, and it didn’t disappoint. Along with catapulting Regé-Jean Web page to semi-stardom and spawning an infinite provide of memes, all of it however dominated popular culture upon its arrival. Its third season stays one of the vital anticipated choices of 2024. And, doubtless, it wouldn’t have existed with out the serving to hand of Shondaland, the Rhimes-backed manufacturing firm that rose to prominence because of Gray’s.
Inventing Anna
Rhimes’ follow-up to Bridgerton on Netflix could not have achieved the essential success of Bridgerton, however it actually earned a spot in popular culture. Julia Garner’s wild tackle Anna Delvey, a pretend German rip-off artist who infiltrated New York excessive society, has been parodied to dying. Garner’s tackle Delvey even earned an impersonation on the most recent season of RuPaul’s Drag Race (to blended outcomes). In any case, in the event you haven’t seen this present, then I shouldn’t have time for this!