The premiere of Grey’s Anatomy season 20 has officially been delayed, and it means the end of an 18-year tradition. The medical show focuses on the life of the patients and workers at the Seattle Grace Hospital and the day-to-day drama that life at the hospital can bring. Grey’s Anatomy has released new episodes every year throughout its entire run, which began in 2005. The show is currently preparing to celebrate season 20, but the medical drama has encountered one major problem.
The ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have brought a halt to the development of Grey’s Anatomy season 20. Instead of continuing its tradition of providing new content every year, Deadline released ABC’s 2023-2024 schedule, and it does not include Grey’s Anatomy. Will Trent is also not included, and Abbott Elementary is relegated to encore episodes. People confirmed that the premiere will be delayed due to the strikes. As a result, this breaks a tradition for the medical drama, as this will be the first time that the show won’t return for its slated schedule, and it could be the longest gap between seasons. Until this year, Grey’s Anatomy released a new season every year during its customary fall schedule.
How Could Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 Return When There Are The Strikes?
Grey’s Anatomy will likely not return until the end of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. Development has not been able to continue for some time, despite being renewed for season 20 this past March. The scripts are not nearly ready for full production, as the WGA strike began in May, and the SAG-AFTRA workers joined the picket lines on July 14. There was not enough time to complete the Grey’s Anatomy season, which was likely the major contribution to the show’s failure to release in time to join ABC’s Fall 2023 slate.
There is no definitive end date for the strikes. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has failed to negotiate with the writers for several months before agreeing to meet on August 4. Unfortunately, the strikes will continue indefinitely after the two sides failed to reach an agreement. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA are seeking better working conditions, better payment and residuals, and restrictions on studio AI usage. Until these issues are resolved, Grey’s Anatomy will not be able to continue.
AMPTP will likely need to reach an agreement with the WGA before moving to the negotiation tables with SAG-AFTRA. The WGA strike has been ongoing for over 100 days, so the studios will need to get writers back to work soon if they wish to complete their schedules for the winter. When negotiations finally do result in an end to the strikes, there will still be some time before Grey’s Anatomy can return. These delays mean that the next season of Grey’s Anatomy will likely not come any sooner than mid-Winter.
