#Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 to Tackle Coronavirus Pandemic

Grey’s Anatomy has been on the air for over 15 years.

Throughout that time, it has tackled several real-life cases, but the series will go one step further during Grey’s Anatomy Season 17.

It will tackle the coronavirus pandemic when the series gets back underway.

Executive producer Krista Vernoff dropped the news in a new Emmys panel called “Quaranstreaming: Comfort TV That Keeps Us Going,” which is set to launch on Youtube on Tuesday night.

“We’re going to address this pandemic for sure,” Vernoff explained.

“There’s no way to be a long-running medical show and not do the medical story of our lifetimes.”

As has been the norm for the series since its inception, real doctors have provided insight into what is happening in the world.

“The doctors come in, and we’re the first people they’re talking to about these types of experiences they’re having,” she teased.

“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.”

“And that’s been one of our big conversations about [Kevin McKidd’s] Owen [who served in the Army], that he’s actually trained for this in a way that most of the other doctors aren’t.”

“I feel like our show has an opportunity and a responsibility to tell some of those stories,” Vernoff continued.

“Our conversations have been constantly about how we keep alive humor and romance while we tell these really painful stories.”

Grey’s Anatomy Season 16 was forced to wrap with multiple episodes unproduced as a result of the pandemic.

And while production would usually be getting underway on the next season for a September debut, the cast have not returned to the set.

This is because the pandemic is still very much present, and safety protocols need to be introduced to keep everyone on the show safe.

ABC is still planning a fall launch for most of its returning series, but the typical September premiere week may be pushed to late October.

What are your thoughts on the series tackling the coronavirus pandemic?

Hit the comments below.

Remember you can watch Grey’s Anatomy online right here via TV Fanatic.

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.