Shonda Rhimes has been the present runner for the medical drama since 2005.
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Nineteen seasons in, “Gray’s Anatomy” continues to be one of many prime medical dramas on TV.
However creator Shonda Rhimes confronted a couple of hurdles again within the early 2000s when she was attempting to get the ABC sequence made.
Rhimes, 52, and her producing companion Betsy Beers appeared on the “9 to 5ish with theSkimm” podcast with the CEOs of theSkimm, Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg, this week.
The Shondaland head mirrored on a dialog she had with “previous males” TV execs when she was pitching the sequence.
Rhimes defined the lads have been hesitant to have a present on the air the place a girl so blatantly reveals off her sexuality.
Ellen Pompeo — who nonetheless stars as Dr. Meredith Gray on the present — was seen within the 2005 pilot having a one-night stand with future husband Derek Shepherd (performed by Patrick Dempsey).
Moments later, Meredith stumbles into the hospital for her shift and bumps into none apart from Dr. Shepherd.
“I bear in mind getting known as right into a room stuffed with previous males, they usually introduced us in to inform me that the present was an issue as a result of no person was gonna watch a present a few girl who would sleep with a person the evening earlier than her first day of labor,” Rhimes mentioned on the podcast. “They usually have been lifeless severe.”
She mentioned she understood why the lads would really feel this fashion.
She famous: “These guys don’t know something about what’s occurring on the earth proper now, however they’re the folks making the choices.”
“There had by no means been a present during which there was a lead character who owned her sexuality” on community tv, she mentioned.
The “Bridgerton” producer continued: “There had not been reveals during which you noticed three or 4 folks of colour in a room speaking until it was on a sitcom.”
Whereas Rhimes doesn’t imagine that feminine TV characters feeling sexually free was “revolutionary” on the time, she acknowledged that she was simply attempting to make a sequence that was of curiosity to her and other people like her.
Rhimes then defined how Beers rescued her in the course of the tense assembly. The male execs had puzzled what sort of viewers would watch a present that includes a lead feminine protagonist getting drunk and having flirtatious hookups.
Beers had boldly entered the room stuffed with males and exclaimed: “That’s me, I did that!”
“They might not get out of that room quick sufficient,” Rhimes mirrored. “They usually couldn’t name me a slut to my face,” Beers joked.
The “Gray’s Anatomy” pilot was watched by greater than 16 million, and 17 years later, the present nonetheless has thousands and thousands of followers.
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