Grey's Anatomy: 6 crazy numbers to know about the TV show

08/05/2023

With 19 seasons broadcast and a twentieth in the works, Grey’s Anatomy has become a real symbol of American television. Here are 6 incredible numbers to know about the classic medical show.

332, the record number of episodes for a prime-time medical series
332, the record number of episodes for a prime-time medical series

While many consider ER to be THE medical show, it was dethroned in terms of longevity on February 28, 2019, when ABC aired the 332nd episode of Grey's Anatomy. The soap created by Shonda Rhimes then became the longest-running medical series ever aired in prime time on American television. And it continues since, at the end of its 19th season, which is currently airing, Grey's Anatomy will have a total of 420 episodes.

37.88 million viewers, the historical audience record for Grey's Anatomy
37.88 million viewers, the historical audience record for Grey's Anatomy

One is not born a classic TV show, but rather becomes one. And while Grey's Anatomy was an immediate public success on television, its audience grew over the weeks and episodes. This allowed it to be broadcast right after the Super Bowl final, the most watched event every year in the United States, on February 5, 2006. ABC aired that night episode 16 of season 2 of Grey's Anatomy, also known as the "bomb episode", which was watched by 37.88 million viewers. This is the all-time audience record for the series.

39, the number of nominations the series has received at the prestigious Emmy Awards ceremony
39, the number of nominations the series has received at the prestigious Emmy Awards ceremony

Grey's Anatomy is not only a public success, it is also a critical one. In its 18 years of existence, it has received 39 nominations at the Emmy Awards, one of the most prestigious award ceremonies on American television. And for good reason, Grey's Anatomy was nominated at the event every year between 2005 and 2012.

$20 million, Ellen Pompeo's annual salary for Grey's Anatomy from 2018 onwards
$20 million, Ellen Pompeo's annual salary for Grey's Anatomy from 2018 onwards

As the lead actress of Grey's Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo, who plays the heroine Meredith Grey, renegotiated her contract at the end of 2017. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this allowed her to increase her annual income to $20 million, making her the highest-paid actress in American television for a drama series. Especially since, in addition to her work as an actress, Ellen Pompeo became an executive producer of the show from 2017.

239, the record number of episodes for an LGBTQ+ character in a TV show
239, the record number of episodes for an LGBTQ+ character in a TV show

Known for its diversity, Grey's Anatomy holds the record with Callie Torres for the largest number of episodes for an LGBTQ+ character in television history. Played by Sara Ramirez, the bisexual surgeon appears in a total of 239 episodes, as reported by the American magazine Out. Although she left the series at the end of season 12, Callie has undoubtedly left her mark on Grey's Anatomy and remains an inspiration to millions of people around the world.

9.7/10, the highest-rated episode of Grey's Anatomy by fans on IMDb
9.7/10, the highest-rated episode of Grey's Anatomy by fans on IMDb

Grey's Anatomy offered to its fans a lot of strong and memorable episodes, some of them being close to perfection for viewers. The best-rated episode in the history of the TV show, by users on the IMDb website, has an average rating of 9.7 out of 10. It is more precisely a double episode, namely episodes 23 and 24 of season 6, featuring a shooting in the hospital.

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