It has been dubbed “the little series that could.”
“Grey’s Anatomy,” the come-from-behind Sunday-night favorite, is poised to step from the shadow of “Desperate Housewives.”
On Feb. 5, the little hospital drama will get the biggest push television can offer – the post-Super Bowl slot.
Initially striking critics as a nice but unremarkable chick show – long on emotional resonance, short on action/adventure/sex – “Grey’s Anatomy” has survived to become appointment viewing on its own steam. More serious than “Housewives” and equally driven by appealing characters, the medical drama has eclipsed the Wisteria Lane hysteria in storytelling if not yet in ratings.
Rarely does a small, unheralded TV series evolve into a happy, unexpected success story. “Grey’s Anatomy” proves that viewers will find good work.
ABC executives know they’ve got a potentially long-running hit on their hands.
The post-Super Bowl berth should cement “Grey’s” standing as a key component of the network’s success. Millions of inertia-bound viewers will sample the series following the game. And it’s going to be a powerful first meeting.
The story shifts into crisis mode for a “code black,” meaning there’s an “ER”-like emergency at Seattle Grace Hospital.
Creator Shonda Rhimes wisely demands her cast keep its mouths shut: She hates spoilers. “Something happens and bad stuff follows,” is all she would say.
According to Peter Horton, who directed the episode, “it’s sort of like a regular ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ on testosterone and on speed.”
The drama continues to unfold in surprising ways. Just when fans thought it was about Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) a first-year intern, and her boss Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), a brain surgeon, falling for each other, his estranged wife Addison (Kate Walsh) showed up and joined the hospital staff.
While patients come and go, the tension is always about the relationships, Rhimes said. The diverse cast is top-notch; racial subtext is seamlessly interwoven in the stories. Yes, the dialog is sometimes precious. (Meredith: “We’re adults. When did that happen? And how do we make it stop?”) But the characters are compelling.
Meredith’s fellow intern Christine Yang (Sandra Oh), a free spirit, is involved with the egotistical and exacting chief surgeon Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington); the endearingly awkward George O’Malley (T.R. Knight) is secretly in love with Meredith. In the hour’s most soap-operatic subplot, Isobel Stevens (Katherine Heigl) is a former model turned medical intern. She has disrobed to encourage the hospital staff to “get over it.” Izzie is involved with Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), who is having trouble both passing his medical boards and committing to a relationship. (He finds bedding a nurse easier.)
Fan favorite Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), nicknamed “the Nazi,” keeps the residents in line. Bailey is now pregnant, but Wilson promised that won’t mellow her character a bit.
Creator-producer Rhimes told critics she didn’t expect the series to last beyond 13 episodes, so last year, “sitting at home in my pajamas,” she threw everything she had into the early scripts. Thanks to abundant leftovers, “Grey’s” will offer 27 episodes this season – a treat for viewers burned by other series’ frequent reruns.
Some 134 million Americans will be up for grabs after the Steelers-Seahawks showdown in the Super Bowl. “Grey’s Anatomy” should score with a chunk of them.
Comings and goings
NBC’s “Surface” season finale will air Feb. 6 on KUSA-Channel 9.
ABC’s decision to yank “Emily’s Reasons Why Not” (after just one episode) and “Jake in Progress” looks smart now. The network scored higher ratings with two hours of repeats than with original episodes of those sitcoms. ABC even overtook beleaguered NBC for third place on Monday.
The most distressing trend from the TV critics’ winter media tour is the use of the word “creative” as a noun. ABC’s Stephen McPherson, talking about “Commander in Chief,” said, “We’re really hoping that the creative will continue to evolve.” Why not simply, “It’s bad now, we’re hoping it gets better”?
TV critic Joanne Ostrow can be reached at 303-820-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com.
