ABC renews Grey's Anatomy for Season 19 as Ellen Pompeo inks a new deal to return

The Hollywood Reporter

The long-running medical drama has been given an early renewal for next season after ABC reached a new deal for Pompeo to continue playing her title character, Meredith Grey. Showrunner Krista Vernoff will continue to lead Grey's, while original stars Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. already signed new deals last May to return. “Grey’s Anatomy is a true phenomenon, beloved by audiences around the world. Whether they catch it live on ABC, or stream it on Hulu or globally on Disney+ or Star+, it’s clear that fans can’t get enough of Shonda Rhimes’ brilliant creation,” said Dana Walden, chairman of entertainment at Walt Disney Television. “We have enormous faith in Shonda, Krista Vernoff, Ellen Pompeo and the entire creative team to unlock new, untold stories that will continue to focus on modern medicine, tackle the issues that shape the world around us, and resonate deeply with loyal fans for years to come.” Pompeo signed a new deal weeks after her comments last month that she's pushing for Grey's to end. "I've been trying to focus on convincing everybody that it should end," she told Insider. "​I feel like I'm the super naive one who keeps saying, 'But what's the story going to be, what story are we going to tell?' And everyone's like, 'Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars.'"