The long-rumored Grey’s Anatomy revamp looks bigger than first anticipated.
ABC dropped a first-look featurette on Tuesday that introduces viewers to the five new additions joining the cast, Harry Shum Jr., Adelaide Kane, Alexis Floyd, Niko Terho, and Midori Francis.
There have been some rumors that the series could be taking a significant time jump into the future, something this clip will help to deny.
We see Meredith introducing all of the new residents to the hospital, revealing that they have some big questions ahead of them.
Meredith is overseeing the rebooted Residency program, but she won’t be sticking around for the entire season.
As previously reported, Meredith will appear in less than half of Grey’s Anatomy Season 19.
Similarly, Scott Speedman has dropped down to a recurring player, hinting that Meredith and Nick will be splitting their time between Seattle and Minnesota.
ABC is understandably looking to breathe new life into the franchise, and there are some parallels with Grey’s Anatomy Season 1 Episode 1.
Bringing in a wealth of new series regulars raises many questions about the other characters.
Original stars Chandra Wilson (Bailey) and James Pickens, Jr. (Richard) will be back as series regulars.
Kevin McKidd (Owen) and Kim Raver (Teddy) are also listed as series regulars by ABC, which is good news after the way the previous season ended.
Kelly McCreary (Maggie), Anthony Hill (Winston), Caterina Scorsone (Amelia), Camilla Luddington (Jo), and Chris Carmack (Link) are also signed on as series regulars.
Jake Borelli (Schmitt) is also still listed as a series regular, which is a bit of a surprise given how the previous season wrapped.
How will Schmitt fit into the narrative going forward? Time will tell.
Grey’s Anatomy has been known to switch things up in the past to keep the show fresh and exciting.
The series returns Thursday, Oct. 6, at 9/8c.
All eyes will be on the show to see how it holds up without the glue that holds the storylines together.
Remember, you can watch Grey’s Anatomy online right here via TV Fanatic.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.