The reasons for Grey’s Anatomy’s long-term success

When we talk about medical series, there is a name that immediately comes to our heads: Grey's Anatomy. Recently, from the El Comercio website it was mentioned that the trailer for the new season of this series has already been released, which, against all odds, is on its 17th season.

The new stage of this medical drama will include current themes since it will talk about the coronavirus pandemic, as revealed by BolaVip. Therefore, the plot will continue with the bases that we already know, although taking into account what is happening in real life.

Knowing that it is a series whose first broadcast took place in 2005, we decided to find out what are the reasons for the prolonged success of Grey's Anatomy, a series that generates enormous fanaticism on social networks.

Grey's Anatomy and its success over time

Grey's Anatomy is a series that leaves no one indifferent. Throughout its 16 seasons, its fans expressed all kinds of emotions on social media. For example, Show News highlights that, in the last edition, the creators were insulted by one of the actors that left the series: Justin Chambers, who plays Alex Karev.

This gives us the guideline, in the first instance, to understand the enormous success of this fiction: the characters. As it involves many seasons, in which the emotions and motivations of each are known in all aspects of their lives, it is very common for everyone to feel affection for them. 

However, that does not appear to be the only cause. As explained in the specialized media Fotogramas, which reveals that Jaicy Elliot, who gave life to the character of Dr. Taryn, believed that the series is also willing to "address and portray real-life issues." In other words, they don't just tackle superficial, but also complex issues.

Another point to keep in mind is that, although the base focuses on the medical dramas of the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, there is a very interesting mix of genres and inclusion. In Pon Pausa they clarify that it was one of the first series that dared, from the beginning, to propose a multiracial and inclusive cast, making it widely identifiable with the audience.

For this reason, some media, such as Stilo, believe that Grey's Anatomy "has made history." It is a fundamental fiction in television history, because it is the medical drama series that has been broadcast the longest in prime time, in addition to its appearance on the different streaming platforms.

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The ability to adapt to new contexts and plot twists is also highlighted. In other words, the story knew how to make the changes at the right time, even taking out iconic characters that no longer contributed much to the plot. This became a shock to many fans, who could not bear this loss in fiction, but who also understood that it was the right time to say goodbye.

One of the most iconic cases was the departure of Patrick Dempsey from the cast, who played the mythical Dr. Derek Shepherd . Although he acted in 252 chapters, becoming one of the visible faces of the series, he recognized that it was a "long period of time", so it was necessary that he leave the ABC drama just in time.

It should come as no surprise that, as El Espectador commented, the story created by Shonda Rhimes has surpassed ER's record as the longest-running series of this style. So, the impact caused by Grey's Anatomy, and its themes makes it one of the most important series of all time.