ABC is set to expand the Grey’s Anatomy universe with a new spinoff series, just a week after unveiling its fall schedule for 2026-2027. The network has given a straight-to-series order to an untitled medical drama, co-created by Grey’s Anatomy creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes, along with Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Meg Marinis. Rhimes, Marinis, and Grey’s star and executive producer Ellen Pompeo will all serve as executive producers on the project, which is scheduled to premiere in midseason 2027.
This new series marks the fourth entry in the Grey’s Anatomy franchise, following the original series, Private Practice, and Station 19. Notably, it is the first spinoff set outside of a major city, taking place at a rural West Texas medical center—described as the last stop for care before patients reach miles of isolated wilderness. Unlike previous spinoffs, which spun off series regular characters, this one will focus on a new group of doctors, possibly connected to Grey’s universe through characters like Debbie Allen’s Catherine Fox.
“I am incredibly excited to expand the Grey’s Anatomy universe,” said Meg Marinis. “This opportunity will bring new characters and stories to life that embody the same heart, emotion, and connection audiences have loved for over two decades—set in my home state of Texas. I am grateful to Shonda Rhimes for creating this dynamic world and thrilled to be part of it.”
While the core focus will be on new medical professionals, the series is expected to have some ties to Grey’s Anatomy, potentially through characters like Catherine Fox. Rhimes and Betsy Beers are also executive producing, alongside Marinis and Pompeo. The studios involved are Shondaland and 20th Television. It remains to be seen whether Marinis will serve as showrunner for both Grey’s series, but it’s a possibility, given her predecessor Krista Vernoff’s dual role overseeing both the original and Station 19.
The size of the order for this series has not yet been determined, but it’s likely to mirror recent midseason ABC entries, which have launched with around nine episodes. The series will probably follow the typical scheduling pattern, with Grey’s Anatomy airing in the fall and the spinoff debuting in midseason, both in the Thursday 10 p.m. slot behind 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Nashville.
This spinoff is notable as the first Grey’s Anatomy project Rhimes has written or co-written since the Season 11 episode “How to Save a Life,” which marked the death of Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). Rhimes previously penned the pilot and backdoor pilot episodes for Private Practice, which relocated the franchise to Los Angeles. Both Private Practice and Station 19 enjoyed multi-season runs, with the latter concluding after seven seasons in 2024.
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