Photo: ABC
Grey’s Anatomy’s Executive Producer Krista Vernoff revealed that the long running drama would be tackling COVID-19 in its upcoming 17th season.
During today’s “Quaranstreaming: Comfort TV That Keeps Us Going” panel, Vernoff stated “We’re going to address this pandemic for sure. There’s no way to be a long-running medical show and not do the medical story of our lifetimes.”
The series has been upfront about their writers meeting with real-life doctors each year but shared that this year’s conversations have been different. “This year, it has felt more like therapy,” she explained. “The doctors come in and we’re the first people they’re talking to about these types of experiences they’re having. They are literally shaking and trying not to cry, they’re pale, and they’re talking about it as war — a war that they were not trained for.”
Always wanting to be able to tell these everyday heroes stories the right way is at the forefront. So, hearing about the trauma of this “war” made Vernoff instantly think of the character of Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), who is a veteran. “…He’s actually trained for this in a way that most of the other doctors aren’t.”
Vernoff talked about how Grey’s “has an opportunity and a responsibility” to tell some of those painful stories all while keeping the humor and romance that the show is known for. To catch the full interview you can catch the panel tonight at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET on YouTube.
What do you think about television shows tackling COVID-19? Let us know…
Leave a Reply