Grey's Anatomy season 18 release date, cast, how to watch and how to catch up

Medical drama Grey's Anatomy has been keeping us entertained for 17 years. From the minute Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd (McDreamy) hit our screens back in the day, it's been a emotion-packed show with multiple twists and turns to keep us all watching year after year.

Here is everything you need to know about Grey's Anatomy season 18, including when it is due to be released, how to watch it when it is released and which cast members are expected. You'll also find all the season 17 details below and where to binge watch the previous seasons of Grey's Anatomy (all 17 of them).

Grey's Anatomy season 18 release date

Grey's Anatomy season 18 will be released in the US on 30 September 2021. At the moment, there isn't a confirmed release date for the UK. 

Grey's Anatomy season 17 premiered in the US on 12 November, 2020 but it didn't air in the UK until 7 April, 2021 so it might be 2022 before the UK sees the new season of the medical drama.

How and where to watch Grey's Anatomy season 18

For those in the US, Grey's Anatomy season 18 will be shown on ABC when it airs at the end of September. You will be able to stream it on Hulu and we'd expect you'll be able to stream it through the ABC website too.

For those in the UK, it is likely season 18 of Grey's Anatomy will be available to watch on Sky Witness when it becomes available, as recent seasons have been, including season 17, though nothing is confirmed as yet.

How many episodes will there be of Grey's Anatomy season 18?

ABC hasn't confirmed how many episodes of Grey's Anatomy season 18 there will be, though we'd hope it will return to over 20. 

There were just 17 episodes in season 17 of Grey's Anatomy, which was one of the shortest seasons in the show's history with only the first season having less, and the fourth season having the same number of episodes. 

Season one had nine episodes and season four had 17, otherwise the other seasons all have over 20 episodes, meaning there are now over 360 episodes in season one to seventeen. Binge-watching heaven.

What is expected to happen in Grey's Anatomy season 18?

Grey's Anatomy season 17 had a focus on the Covid-19 pandemic with everyone at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital having to cope with the crisis, along with the continuing drama of their everyday lives, picking up where season 16 left off.

It is not yet clear what season 18 will focus on but we expect to see some teasers on the Grey's Anatomy social media accounts over the next couple of weeks.

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A post shared by Kate Walsh (@katewalsh)

We know Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) is coming back for season 18 after she confirmed it on her Instagram (see above) and we know there will be a couple of characters missing after their departure in season 17. No more Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) or Tom Koracick (Greg Germann) after both left for the Catherine Fox Foundation in Boston, and no DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) either, of course.

Don't worry though, lots of the favourites are still expected, including Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington), Link Lincoln (Chris Carmack), Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) and Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr), among others. 

Meredith's mother, Dr. Ellis Grey (Kate Burton), will also make some form of comeback, though it is not clear how as yet. Should be interesting given she was killed off in season three.

How and where to watch Grey's Anatomy season 17

Grey's Anatomy is available to watch on Sky Witness in the UK. It started with a double header, with episodes one and two, but it continued as a week-by-week affair, like Line of Duty, with a new episode dropping every Wednesday from 7 April, rather than the entire season being made available on Sky On Demand at once. The season has now concluded so all the episodes are available to watch through On Demand. 

In the US, Grey's Anatomy season 17 is available on ABC. Each episode can be streamed on the ABC website, as well as Hulu.

Where to catch up on previous seasons of Grey's Anatomy?

Grey's Anatomy season one to 16 are all available on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and on Disney+ Star. You can watch season 17 on catch up through Sky - as mentioned - but you'll need a Sky subscription. It's also available to buy through Amazon.

In the US, season one to 16 are all available on Netflix US. You can then watch season 17 on the ABC website, or through Hulu if you missed it week-by-week.

Will there be a season 19 of Grey's Anatomy and when will it come out?

A season 19 hasn't been confirmed by ABC as yet. There have also been talks of a spin off show after Deadline reported that ABC's Signature President Jonnie Davis said it had been discussed.

The site then followed up the story with a clarification from Davis saying: "I would like to clarify some statements I made in a prior interview. There are no conversations about a spinoff of Grey's Anatomy at this time. We are 100 percent focused on producing season 18, with the incredible Krista Vernoff at the helm, and the amazing Ellen Pompeo leading our ensemble and co-executive producing. As the leader of ABC Signature, I meant only to convey my support and optimism for Shonda's brilliant creation."

It is therefore not clear what the future of Grey's Anatomy will be, though there is of course already a spin off in Station 19, the fifth season of which will air on 30 September an hour before Grey's Anatomy season 18.

Source : https://www.pocket-lint.com/tv/news/sky/156295-how-to-watch-greys-anatomy-release-date