As the longest-running medical drama in American television history, Grey's Anatomy utilizes a highly successful formula. The show blends messy soap opera drama with extreme medical situations that entertain audiences worldwide.
As a result, it makes sense that the creators behind the show eventually found the need to expand Grey's Anatomy into a franchise. From 2007's Private Practice to the immensely popular 2018 firefighter series, Station 19, the show has found success with most of its spinoffs.
Here is where every Grey's Anatomy show, including the original, ranks from worst to best.
4. Grey's Anatomy: B-Team
Grey's Anatomy: B-Team was more of an extension of the original Grey's Anatomy than a spinoff. Directed by Grey's Anatomy actress Sarah Drew (April Kepner), the show premiered in 2018 as a web series focused on the interns at Grey Sloan. This includes Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli), Taryn Helm (Jaicy Elliot), Casey Parker (Alex Blue Davis), Vik Roy (Rushi Kota), and Sam Bello (Jeanine Mason).
B-Team had one season that consisted of six episodes and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.
However, despite its recognition by the Television Academy, Grey's Anatomy: B-Team was a relatively forgettable show. It wasn't very high-stakes and felt more like a pilot study for the creators of Grey's Anatomy to gauge what audiences wanted to see.
3. Grey's Anatomy
When Grey's Anatomy first premiered on ABC in 2005, it followed a group of young doctors as they began their careers at Seattle Grace Hospital. This group included Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), the daughter of a famous surgeon who struggled to carve out a name for herself in medicine while dealing with trauma from her past.
After a tragic plane crash, the hospital was renamed Grey Sloan to honor the lives and contributions of two of the deceased, Lexie Grey and Mark Sloan.
Even now, after 22 seasons, Grey's Anatomy still supplies fan-favorite characters, doe-eyed interns, and over-the-top medical emergencies. The show has its issues, given the cast changes over the years and occasional inconsistent writing. However, Grey's Anatomy has recently been renewed for season 23, so the show clearly still appeals to audiences.
2. Private Practice
Private Practice was Grey's Anatomy's's first official spinoff. The show followed neonatal surgeon Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) after she left Seattle Grace in order to start her own practice in LA. She was joined by Sam and Naomi Bennet (Taye Diggs, Audra McDonald), Cooper Freedman (Paul Adelstein), Violet Turner (Amy Brenneman), and Dell Parker (Chris Lowell).
Amelia Shepard (Catherine Scorsone) was also a regular on the show before moving to Seattle to work at Grey Sloan.
Private Practice was one of Grey's Anatomy's most successful spinoffs. It spanned six seasons and over a hundred episodes. It also proved that great characters drive a show's success, with Kate Walsh's dynamic performance as Addison Montgomery serving as a hallmark of the show's run.
1. Station 19
Station 19 followed Andy Herrera (Jaina Lee Ortiz), a legacy firefighter and daughter of Captain Pruitt Herrera, as she worked her way up the ladder at her fire station. Station 19 focused on both firefighters and paramedics, so the show featured daring fire rescues alongside medical emergencies, the hallmark of the Grey's Anatomy universe.
Station 19's cancellation in 2024 was a shock to many given the show's immense popularity among fans. For instance, the show had a stacked cast of talented actors that kept it afloat, including Jason Winston George, Jay Hayden, Barrett Doss, Danielle Savre, and Boris Kodjoe. Station 19 also had more story to tell when it was cancelled; instead, the writers were forced to create a rushed ending that left some fans disappointed and confused.
Despite its unfortunate ending, Station 19 was a solid show that successfully maintained its own distinct voice while preserving the thrill and melodrama central to the Grey's Anatomy franchise.
You can stream Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 on HULU.
Add us as a preferred source on Google