There are long-running TV dramas, and then there's Grey's Anatomy. We're currently in the middle of Season 22 on ABC (and streaming with a Hulu subscription), and the medical drama is going through another huge casting change. And while I'm a fan, I'm starting to think this could be the beginning of the end.
Grey's Anatomy's original stars have largely left the show, with there being just three OG's left: Ellen Pompeo (who only appears part-time), Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens Jr.. THR just revealed that that we're losing two longtime actors: Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver aka Owen Hunt and Teddy Altman. And this is likely going to bring some doubt into longtime Grey's fans about how long the show could really keep going.
Both actors will stay on until the end of Season 22, with the season finale marking their last episode. McKidd will also direct the finale episode. That being said, plenty of departed actors have popped up with guest appearances, so it doesn't mean we won't ever see them again. Showrunner Meg Marinis went so far as to say "this is never truly a goodbye" with the announcement of their departures.
This casting shakeup comes after a number of other BTS changes to the show. The cast have seen their episode count shortened presumably for budgetary reasons. And we've lost a ton of stars in the last few seasons, making the cast now largely made up of the new class of interns.
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McKidd made his debut as Owen back in Season 5, growing into a series regular and a director of an impressive 48 episodes throughout the years. Ravers debuted back in 2009, and was a guest actor before becoming a series regular. She'd eventually leave for three seasons, before returning as the trauma surgeon. It's hard to imagine the show without Owen and Teddy at this point, who have gone through a ton of ups and downs in their decade and change on the beloved series.
I'm a longtime Grey's Anatomy fan, and it remains one of my favorite shows ever... specifically the first 10 seasons or so. I've been wondering if it might wrap up its story, especially now that Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey only appears a few times a season (besides her iconic narration). Personally I feel like losing two more long-time characters could be a sign to wrap things up, but I'll still be watching until the time it ends its impressive tenure on ABC.
Grey's Anatomy airs new episodes Thursdays on ABC as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to wait and see if the network decides to keep going into Season 23 or not.