In a world where everyone is trying to do something different to gain recognition, being the first anything is such an achievement. Maybe that is why people struggle to break records, something that has led to the establishment of Guinness World Records. Breaking records has led to intense competition even in the showbiz industry. Television shows have become addictive but still, for any of them to have that edge, they need to have something extra that will have people talking and even want to watch it. For Grey’s Anatomy, it has made significant achievements on television, and with Shonda Rhimes as its prolific writer, we can be sure that more is yet to come. The show has been around since 2005 and still going strong so let us look at the five television “firsts” that Grey’s Anatomy is responsible for as we continue to savor the drama.
1. First Gay male surgeon
Grey’s Anatomy has been around for so long that it is now in its 15th season. While it has been a strong supporter of LGBTQ rights as portrayed in its production, it has never featured a gay male surgeon. Some of the LGBTQ characters that it has cast include Dr. Callie Torres, a bisexual orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Arizona Robbins, a lesbian pediatric surgeon and Casey Parker who plays a Trans intern. In its 15th season, Grey’s Anatomy has introduced its first gay male surgeon, Dr. Nico Kim, a character that Alex Landi will get to play. Landi took to his Instagram account to show appreciation for the consideration. Although Landi is relatively new to the showbiz industry, he has appeared in Bull.
2. Colorblind casting in a medical drama
When Shonda Rhimes thought of creating a show that would be different from the rest, she set out to do it in all areas, such as portraying women not just as smart but as human beings who are capable of being angry and having other emotions. However, the most notable difference she made was the racial diversity she included in the show. There have been some many medical dramas that have kept us on the edge of our seats, but none of them used the color-blind casting technique to search for characters. Shonda Rhimes made this possible in support of her vision of a racially diverse cast. The production team failed to predetermine the character’s race. However, she was very particular about the kind of person they wanted for each role, and Shonda kept looking for a person to play Dr. Meredith because she wanted “a girl like from Moonlight Mile.” Still, the only character whose race was predetermined was Dr. Miranda Bailey since they needed a petite blonde with curly hair, a role that Chandra Wilson fits perfectly.
3. TV show title with wordplay
Grey’s Anatomy is a title that resulted from the wordplay. The medical drama is based on a book by Henry Gray, which goes by the title Gray’s Anatomy. The book, which was first published in 1858 is still in print today. However, Shonda did not use the title as it is precisely and decided instead to have some fun with words. She, therefore, twisted it about by combining the title with the name of a character, Dr. Meredith Grey which resulted in the show being called Grey’s Anatomy.
4. Longest running drama on ABC
When Grey’s anatomy renewed for the 15th season, it became the longest-running drama ever to air on ABC. Apart from this making of history, it also is the 8th television show to have many seasons. ABC Entertainment president, Channing Dungey disclosed that the drama occupies a special place in his heart as he announced its renewal for the 15th season. He credited this historic achievement to the loyal fans who have been behind the success of Grey’s Anatomy since it first premiered in 2005. The show’s 14th season ranking as number 1 among adults aged between 18 and 49 is evidence of the loyalty.
5. Longest running medical drama ever
Besides being the longest running drama on ABC, it has surpassed the ER record by being the longest medical drama ever. This milestone will happen later on in the year around September 2019 as it goes beyond its 331st episode. To acknowledge the milestone, Grey’s Anatomy will have an episode in which nothing related to medicine will air. Chandra Wilson will direct this outing which is rumored to be about Jo reuniting with her parents, as per the hinting by Camilla Luddington.
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