"Grey's Anatomy" producer Krista Vernoff explains: There cannot be a new season without addressing the corona pandemic.
A new challenge awaits the doctors at the Gray Sloan Memorial Hospital. Because the coronavirus pandemic doesn't stop at the fictional "Grey's Anatomy" world either. This has now been revealed by executive producer Krista Vernoff (46) during a panel discussion at the Television Academy. This is called "Quaranstreaming: Comfort TV That Keep Us Going" and will be published in full on Tuesday evening.
According to Vernoff, it is therefore "impossible to make an ongoing medical show" without talking about the current events. "We will certainly address this pandemic," the producer is quoted in advance by "Entertainment Weekly". The authors of the series, which have been around Ellen Pompeo (50) alias Dr. Meredith Gray, have already talked to the doctors about the pandemic. This is not unusual, explains Vernoff.
Doctors experience "war for which they were not trained"
"Doctors come to us every year and tell us their stories," says the 46-year-old. Usually these are "funniest or craziest" anecdotes from everyday work. However, this year was a lot different. "It felt more like therapy," says Vernoff. Speaking of the season 17 conversations, she says, "The doctors come in and we're the first people they talk to about their experiences. They literally tremble and try not to cry, they're pale." Some of the doctors would even talk about the pandemic as a kind of war – "a war for which they were not trained".
The producer and her colleagues would see themselves as responsible. "Grey's Anatomy" had to take the opportunity to "tell some of these stories". Season 17 hasn't started filming yet. Season 16 celebrated free TV premiere in Germany in May 2020.