‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Showrunner Teases 400th Episode as a ‘Pretty Big Event,’ Jokes It Won’t Include a Musical

usmagazine.com:

TV magic. Grey’s Anatomy is scheduled to hit another series milestone with the season 18 finale: 400 episodes!“It’s going to be a pretty big event, I think,” showrunner Krista Vernoff told TVLine during the Savannah College of Art and Design TV Fest on Wednesday, February 16.Fans may remember that the show’s 200th episode took place during season 10 and featured the doctors dressed up for a wild fundraiser.

During season 14, the 300th episode paid tribute to many past characters. When it comes to the theme of this milestone, however, Vernoff didn’t give away too much.“No, we’re not doing a black-and-white movie musical,” the 50-year-old screenwriter said with a laugh after the Golden Age of the silver screen was thrown out as a suggestion.Vernoff, who has been a writer and producer on the medical drama since its 2005 start, noted that hitting 400 episodes this season is contingent upon their shooting schedule — and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.“I actually think that the last episode of our season will be 400, if there are no further COVID delays and we don’t end up dropping an episode,” she explained. “That’s a big ‘if.’”Should season 18 get cut short due to COVID-19 delays, the long-running ABC series will make it to the episode milestone next season.

The network announced the early renewal of the hit show last month.“I couldn’t be more excited that we get to keep telling the stories of Meredith, Bailey, Richard and all of the other doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial for another season,” Grey’s creator Shonda Rhimes said in a statement in January. “This is a true testament to [showrunner] Krista Vernoff, the cast, the crew and all the writers who keep the audience on the edge of their seat week after week.