Ellen Pompeo Dedicates ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 17 to Health Care Workers Who Have Died From COVID
Ellen Pompeo isn’t a real doctor, but she’s about to resume her job playing one on TV. And when she does, the “Grey’s Anatomy” star will be thinking of all of the real-life health care workers who are fighting the coronavirus pandemic on the frontlines right now, and the ones who have died from COVID-19.
“First time back in my scrubs… since we shut down filming 7000 healthcare workers have died from Covid,” the ABC medical drama star captioned a photo of her in costume as Dr. Meredith
Grey. “I dedicate my season 17 to all who have fallen and to everyone [sic] of you who by the grace of God is still standing… this season is for you with humility and a bit of humor to get us through and endless amounts of gratitude. I hope we do you proud.”
ABC has not yet set a premiere date for Season 17 of “Grey’s Anatomy” — along with the rest of the broadcast network’s fall scripted series — as unscripted projects have been quicker to return to production under the industry’s newly implemented COVID-19 safety guidelines, and will be the first shows to roll out this season.
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When the new episodes do come around, fans can expect a coronavirus plot to hit Grey Sloan Memorial.
“We’re going to address this pandemic for sure,” said “Grey’s” executive producer Krista Vernoff said during an FYC panel in May. “There’s no way to be a long-running medical show and not do the medical story of our lifetimes.”
Vernoff added that the writers are meeting with real-life doctors for their experiences dealing with the health crisis.
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“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,” she said. “I feel like our show has an opportunity and a responsibility to tell some of those stories.”
See Pompeo’s post below.
View this post on Instagram
First time back in my scrubs… since we shut down filming 7000 healthcare workers have died from Covid. I dedicate my season 17 to all who have fallen and to everyone of you who by the grace of God is still standing… this season is for you with humility and a bit of humor to get us through and endless amounts of gratitude. I hope we do you proud @greysabc #seasonseventeen @richardfloodofficial
A post shared by Ellen Pompeo (@ellenpompeo) on Sep 8, 2020 at 4:47pm PDT
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