One of the highest-rated shows on television since its inception, Greys Anatomy continues to entertain, but will the critically acclaimed series survive? Can one change save Greys Anatomy? Those are questions a lot of fans are wondering.

When Greys Anatomy made its debut on ABC in March 2005, the show focused on the personal and professional relationships of a racially diverse group of medical residents, surgical interns, and seasoned doctors. Among the major characters in the show pilot was an ambitious young surgeon named Meredith Grey, who also happened to be the daughter of esteemed operating room physician, Ellis Grey.

Portrayed by Ellen Pompeo, Dr. Meredith Grey is one of only four characters who remain aboard the long-lived show. The three others who made it all the way to season 16 are doctors Miranda Bailey, Alex Karev, and Richard Webber.

In February 2019, Greys Anatomy toppled the record previously held by ER as American televisions most enduring prime-time scripted medical drama, according to Vulture magazine. Readers may recall the long-running medical drama spurring the careers of George Clooney, Noah Wyle, Anthony Edwards, and Laura Innes.

Now in its 16th year, each 41-minute episode of Greys Anatomy typically opens with a foretelling narrative by Dr. Meredith Grey. But that might not be enough to keep the show alive.

According to TheTalko, there are 15 reasons why Greys Anatomy could have called it quits after the third season.

For instance, most of the original cast has moved on, boring new characters have been added, and the once-beloved medical drama has become virtually unrecognizable.

Filmed primarily in sunny Southern California, Greys Anatomy is purported to take place at a Seattle teaching hospital named Grey Sloan Memorial.

Over the years, the primary characters of Greys Anatomy learned surgical techniques and hospital protocol while enduring a countless array of calamities, including bomb threats, plane crashes, and hospital fires, explains PopSugar.

Now that the lead characters have aged well beyond medical school, theres not nearly as much teaching going on as there was in the first three seasons. And that may be the key to saving the show.

Regardless of whether Greys Anatomy enacts a major change, lead actress Ellen Pompeo may. Although the 50-year-old actress told Entertainment Weekly that she still cares very much about the series that sent her to stardom, she also noted that its about time to mix it up and that she was definitely looking for a change as long ago as 2018, explains TV Line.

The Massachusetts-born actress also said that she felt as if the majority of stories had already been told.

In a Reddit thread, critical viewers offered a range of suggestions that, if enacted, might save Greys Anatomy from cancellation. One Reddit commentator recommended that Alexs sister become a bigger part of the storyline and that Merediths character should be given a brother.

One thing thats certain is that when viewers originally fell in love with the show, Greys Anatomy featured a true-to-life medical drama that offered viewers a glimpse into the inner workings of an actual teaching hospital.

Thats what made Greys Anatomy a hit in the first place, and thats what viewers want to see. If hungry new interns are introduced, and if medical teaching is reintroduced as the focus of the show, Greys Anatomy might make it into the foreseeable future.

[Correction: An earlier version said Ellen Pompeo is 60 years old. She is 50.]

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'Grey's Anatomy': This 1 Change Is What the Show Needs to Survive - Showbiz Cheat Sheet