Grey’s Anatomy producers pause production due to coronavirus concerns

Shows like Grey’s Anatomy are altering their production schedules to ensure the health and safety of their casts and crews and their loved ones.

Film studios and television shows on multiple networks have quickly responded to worldwide coronavirus concerns, announcing production shutdowns for the foreseeable future.

Riverdale and America’s Got Talent were just the beginning. Now ABC’s hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy has followed suit.

Showrunner and executive producer Krista Vernoff, along with EP Debbie Allen and producer James Williams, sent a formal letter to the show’s cast and crew announcing that production would stop immediately for at least the next two weeks.

“This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of the whole cast and crew and the safety of our loved ones outside of work,” the letter said. “[The decision] it was made in accordance with Mayor Garcetti’s suggestion that we not gather in groups of more than 50.”

Episodes from the show’s current season that were still in production at the time of the shutdown will be delayed, though it’s not clear if there will be a gap in episode premieres on ABC.

You won’t have to worry about missing installments quite yet — there are still a few weeks’ worth of episodes ready to air despite the production scheduling change.

Episode 21 of Season 16 was the final one produced before the announcement of the immediate shutdown. Episode 17 aired this week. This leaves the season’s final four episodes temporarily unfinished, at least for the next several weeks, with four still on the way and scheduled to premiere.

Things are subject to change, and this break in production could go on longer than the estimated two weeks. But this ensures the health and safety of everyone who works on the show, plus those they are returning home to.

A new episode of Grey’s Anatomy is still scheduled to air on Thursday, March 19 on ABC.