‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Showrunner Krista Vernoff Exit Interview

As Krista Vernoff nears the end of her second stint as the showrunner of ABC’s long-running Grey’s Anatomy, she can’t help but grow reflective. Since her 2017 return to the medical drama, she’s ushered in the Season of Love, reunited MerDer, navigated COVID, tackled the fight for women’s reproductive rights and introduced an appealing new class of surgical residents. But none of those are her proudest achievement, she told TVLine at the show’s recent PaleyFest panel.

“Grey’s Anatomy is such an extraordinary platform, such an extraordinary microphone,” she said. “It’s in hundreds of territories worldwide, and it has a very real impact on hearts and minds, and sometimes it literally saves lives. We get letters from people [that say], ‘I was able to save the life of my baby because of what I saw on Grey’s Anatomy.’ ‘I was able to save my brother who was drowning because I saw CPR on Grey’s Anatomy.’ We get these letters that — I have full body chills as I talk about it — and so I’m proud of it all.

“If I say any more,” she added, “I’ll start to cry.”

Vernoff will shed no tears, however, over stories that may not have played out as well as she might have hoped they would. “Oh my gosh, I’m sure that if I looked at some of the early stuff, there would be do-overs that I would want,” she acknowledged. “But the only way to survive in Hollywood is to filter out anything that doesn’t feel good anymore. I think we’ve done phenomenal work.”

Grey’s Anatomy has already been renewed for Season 20, with executive producer Meg Marinis stepping up to the plate to succeed Vernoff as showrunner. (With reporting by Scott Huver)