This ought to be…something.
TV producer Shonda Rhimes is coming to Texas. Or at least one of her shows is.
ABC-TV has ordered a spin-off version of “Grey’s Anatomy” that will be set in West Texas, according to Variety. “Grey’s Anatomy” show originator Rhimes will be co-creator and executive producer along with Houston-born “Grey’s” showrunner Meg Marinis.
This setting for this version, set to start airing in the 2026-27 season, will be very different from the original series, which takes place in Seattle. The new show is described as “an edgy drama about a team at a West Texas rural medical center — the last chance for care before miles of nowhere.”
[…]
Marinis, a University of Texas Austin grad, said in a statement, “I am incredibly excited to expand the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ universe. This opportunity will bring new characters and stories to life that will embody the same heart, emotion and connection audiences have loved from ‘Grey’s’ for more than two decades — all set in my home state of Texas.”
I assume there’s some Taylor Sheridan envy driving all this, but whatever. Daughter #2 went on a Grey’s Anatomy binge a few years ago, so I absorbed a fair amount of it via osmosis. I suppose they’ll be able to generate plenty of drama, because rural hospitals in Texas have been withering away for some time now. They’re under financial pressure at the state and federal level, and also sometimes because of local decisions. Mostly the state level, though. COVID put a lot of pressure on them, and more recently so has measles. Good luck finding obstetric care and delivery rooms, or heck, just finding doctors and nurses. This could be a West Texas take on The Pitt if they want it to be, but that’s probably not the drama they’re looking for. Too bad if they don’t take advantage of all that material, though.
Can’t wait to see if they will present a plot with a woman having a miscarriage and needing care that doctors are afraid to provide.