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Has ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Been Renewed For Season 13?

By Alexandria Ingham
Published on: 22:18 PST, Mar 3, 2016

ABC has announced its program renewals for the 2016/2017 schedule. Grey’s Anatomy fans want to know whether their favorite show is coming back for a 13th season or whether this one without Derek Shepherd has been the last.

Fans of ABC’s longest-running medical show will be happy to know that Meredith, Bailey and the rest of the Grey Sloan Memorial crew will have the chance to come back for another season. The program has been picked up for Season 13, despite many fans saying they were going to stop watching after the death of Derek Shepherd last year. There have certainly been ups and downs in the ratings, but ABC bosses and Shonda Rhimes are not worried.

Cinema Blend reminds viewers that Grey’s Anatomy follows the lives of Dr. Meredith Grey and other doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial, originally called Seattle Grace and then called Seattle Grace Mercy West when Mercy West closed down and doctors like Jackson and April joined the crew. There has never been a boring moment, whether it has involved explosions from previously undetonated bombs or hospital shooters on revenge for the death of their wives. Mixed with the events from those not employees of the hospital, the show has regularly centered around the friendship and love lives of the interns, residents and attending surgeons.

Season 12 of Grey’s Anatomy was a debateable season to start. Fans were still reeling from the loss of Derek, better known as McDreamy, towards the end of Season 11. Not only did they lose him, but his final episode was disappointing for some. The episode that followed was even more disappointing for many, especially after months of not knowing whether Meredith and Derek would patch things up for the sake of their growing family.

In the end, Season 12 proved to be one of the best seasons for the show. It got back to some of its roots, and moved forward with the loss of Derek. Meredith and Amelia were able to build on their relationship, and Meredith also openly accepted her half-sister, giving her someone else to talk to. Alex became her person after the loss of Cristina at the end of Season 10, and he has fast become one of the best male surgeons in the program, despite his rocky start.

While Grey’s Anatomy has now been officially confirmed as part of ABC’s lineup next year, there are questions over who will stay. Contracts are coming to an end, and there were suspicions that Ellen Pompeo would call it a day and hang up her stethoscope as Meredith Grey. Without her, there would be no doctor named Grey to keep the show going. She, Bailey, Webber, and Alex are the only remaining doctors from the show’s pilot episode; something that was brought back up with this week’s episode.

Over the years, fans have become connected with other characters on the show. Callie and Arizona quickly became fan favorites. While Jackson and April took a little time to get used to, they have now become popular characters for the fan base. Owen Hunt wove himself in seamlessly with his introduction and growth to become Cristina’s partner, and Amelia is growing on fans. There are certainly options for everyone out there, even if the main character decides it is time to depart.

Grey’s Anatomy was not the only one of Rhimes’ dramas to get a renewal with ABC. Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder have also been renewed for their sixth and third seasons respectively. Their audience numbers have declined over recent years, but that has not stopped ABC from renewing them. With Grey’s Anatomy, that is Rhimes’ hat trick of show renewals for a second year.

[Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]

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