Scrubbing in with series’ longtimers

As 'Grey's Anatomy' hits 450th episode, a salute by 3 who were on board from start.

- BY YVONNE VILLARREAL

Los Angeles Times photo illustration; photos from ANNE MARIE Fox Disney

As of this week, viewing ABC's “Grey’s Anatomy” in its entirety would fill up roughly 19 sleepless days of your life.

The long-running medical drama, created by Shonda Rhimes, continues this week with its 450th episode, titled “We Built This City,” more than two decades after its debut in March 2005. It’s another staggering milestone for the show and increasingly rare one in today’s television landscape that favors short seasons and shrinking show lifespans.

The show overcame two major Hollywood work stoppages — the 2007-2008 writers’ strike and the 2023 dual Hollywood strikes. And as Hollywood's current unemployment crisis lingers and the push to rebuild Los Angeles as an entertainment production capital continues, the show is a striking example of a lasting economic and creative footprint, employing thousands of actors, directors, writers and crew members over the years, many who have been able to build entire careers on this one show — last season, the show had roughly 1,100 crew, actors and background actors, according to a spokesperson for Rhimes’ production company, Shondaland.

“We feel extraordinarily fortunate that the show started here and has been able to stay here and that we've been able to provide people with years and years and years and years of employment, have been able to provide new opportunities to people," Rhimes said at a celebration for the milestone on the show’s set earlier this month. “In a world in which this kind of show is not being made anymore, it’s really exciting that we are still making it and people are still watching it.”

Christina House L.A. Times