November 2020 Station 19 and Grey's Anatomy crossover event
A three-part fictional crossover between the television franchises Station 19 and Grey's Anatomy was aired on the American Broadcasting Company consecutively in a three-hour timeslot on November 12, 2020. It began with "Nothing Seems the Same" of Station 19, continued with "All Tomorrow's Parties" of Grey's Anatomy, and concluded with "The Center Won't Hold", also of Grey's Anatomy. The event served as the fourth season premiere of Station 19 and seventeenth season premiere, as well as the second episode of the seventeenth season of Grey's Anatomy.
Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) in a promotional image for the event
The seventeenth season of the American medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy was ordered in May 2019, by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), as part of a double renewal with the sixteenth season. Shortly after, Krista Vernoff signed an agreement to continue serving as the showrunner of the series. Filming on the series began in September 2020 while the season did not premiere until November 12, 2020, both dates being delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, for the 2020–2021 broadcast television season. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television only allowed seventeen episodes to be produced, the fewest of any season since the fourth season. Numerous safety protocols were also implemented across various areas of production to prevent COVID-19 transmission.
Promotional poster for the seventeenth season of Grey's Anatomy
Ellen Pompeo signed a one-year contract to return, making her the highest-paid actress currently on broadcast television, receiving $575,000 per episode.
Patrick Dempsey returned to the series in a recurring capacity after a five-year absence.
Giacomo Gianniotti's character, Dr. Andrew DeLuca, was killed off in the season during a fictional crossover event with spin-off series Station 19.