Great news, TGIT fans: ABC has given early renewals to Greys Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder.

The pickup news means Greys Anatomy will hit season 14, Scandal will make it to season 7, and How to Get Away With Murder will continue into season 4.

Greys Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder continue to keep viewers on the edge of their seats and wanting more, says ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey of the Shonda Rhimes-produced trio. Im thrilled to bring back these shows and the OMG moments that come with them.

This season, Scandal was delayed until midseason to accommodate Kerry Washingtons pregnancy, meaning TGIT was not part of the fall lineup new series Notorious aired in Scandals timeslot and didnt gain much traction. Dungy previously admitted to EW about being nervous over postponing Scandals return. Scandal is a big hit show for us and nobody likes to go into their first fall season as president of entertainment without one of the biggest guns in their arsenal, she said. But, obviously we were thrilled for Kerry and her family and thats all good news.

No decisions have been made in terms of Scandals episode count or whether it will be on in the fall or launch again in midseason Dungey previously said it was too early to tell whether shed repeat history and have another TGIT-less fall. I havent even had the opportunity yet to read the pilot scripts that are in development, so for me to posit what next falls going to look like is a little too early, she said.

RELATED: Hear more of the latest TV news from this week

Scandals absence also affected How to Get Away With Murder, which has been strong creatively, but not in the ratings. I think the lead-in certainly bears some responsibility, Dungey has said. Notorious did not perform as strongly as we would have hoped But if you look at How to Get Away With Murder over the seven-day period, we generally go up in triple-digit percentages, an average of 115 to 117 percent for the show. So that signals that people are still as engaged with it as before. I do think that the lack of TGIT pull-through did affect the number a little bit.

As for Greys Anatomy, Dungey seemed optimistic about the show continuing for many seasons to come, and possibly rivaling ERs tenure. Thatd be lovely, Dungey told EW. Ill take even more! Honestly, I think that the show is going to continue as long as Shonda and the gang have a creative passion for telling those stories. At the moment, it feels like were full steam ahead.

Greys Anatomy, Scandal,and How to Get Away with Murder air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET, respectively, on ABC.

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ABC renews Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder - EW.com

When I found out that Maggie's mother was going to show up on Grey's Anatomy, I was a little sulky about it at first. Why is Grey's always trotting out new guest stars? Why do the characters we've fallen in love with disappear forever? I know the answer to that second question is, "Because a whole bunch of them are dead and a few more of their performers are dead to Shonda." Still, it's a little bittersweet to meet Maggie's mom when who I'd really love to see again are family members like Derek's mother or sister or ex-wife. Or Teddy! Or Mama Burke. And the list goes on and on. I am 100% aware that this is almost entirely Trump-induced "Sure wish things were the way they used to be!" melancholy, but I stand by it.

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That said, I ended up liking Maggie's mother, Diane, just fine, and not just because she's played by the inimitable LaTanya Richardson Jackson. It's always exciting to learn a little more about Maggie, who I still feel like I only know between three to five facts about, in spite of the fact that this is her third season on the show.

Diane tells Maggie she's come for both a visit and for some elective plastic surgery with Jackson. But when she's in an examining room with Jackson, she shows him a rash on her breasts and asks if he can remove it. He can't; it's a rare and aggressive form of cancer called inflammatory breast cancer. He offers to set Diane up with doctors back in Hawaii, to fly in when Diane needs surgery, and to come to dinner with Diane and Maggie, so that he can be there to answer Maggie's questions. I've tried to come up with an articulate way about how that emotional availability makes me feel, and all I can come up with is OMG JACKSON FOREVER.

But Diane never gets a chance to tell Maggie. When Maggie comes home to Meredith's house and finds Diane and Jackson there, she flips out, still angry at the fact that Diane showed up, inserted herself into Maggie's world, met her friends, and made plans on her behalf. That segues into what Maggie's really mad about: her mom divorced her father, moved far away, and "destroyed our family." It feels really abrupt and awkward, but then again, that's sort of how Maggie is: holding feelings inside of her brain and heart for so long that when they spill out, they're super-sized and a little bit spazzy. Diane tells Maggie that her life in Seattle is beautiful, and that Maggie should call her when she's ready to share it with her mom. She leaves, but since Maggie still doesn't know about her cancer (and since Jackson still does), we'll likely see her again soon.

Meanwhile, the battle against Eliza rages on, with most of the attendings still refusing to work with her. Bailey retaliates by suspending Meredith and giving her job to April, and it seems very inconsiderate of April to accept, since that is not the proper way to behave toward someone who let you have a caesarean section on their dining room table. Eliza insists that Arizona is afraid of Eliza being fired or quitting because then there will be NOTHING STOPPING THEIR LOVE and that terrifies her. Also, Catherine gives a speech about being a dragon at one point? It's all still very awkward.

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Throughout the episode, Owen and several other doctors work on a patient who was found wrapped in thick razor wire, having fallen from a wall she and her husband built to protect their house. It's properly harrowing to watch, and I did so almost entirely with my head in the comfort and safety of my sweater. Obligatory aside: pretty dark anytime says anyone even tangentially related to building a wall, huh?

I'm hesitant to type this, and hesitant to even believe this chapter of our lives has come to an end, but I think the question of whether Alex will go to jail is finally, finally settled. PROBABLY. Let's not jinx it. DeLuca bursts into the District Attorney's office and announces that he wants to drop the charges (I'd like to point out that I totally called this development LAST YEAR), but he's pretty deflated when the DA tells him he actually can't. The charges are the state's, not his. He thinks for a moment, then announces that if he's put on the stand, he'll blow the case by saying Alex didn't brutally attack him they were just in a fistfight that went too far. And just like that, Alex walks free. Bailey gives him his job back and everything, and he finally apologizes to DeLuca.

It's a sincere and heartfelt apology (especially given that we're talking about ALEX here), but it sends DeLuca into a bit of a rage. He tells Alex he gave him "every chance to say that" months ago. Alex says that he tried to, and then DeLuca claims he should'vetried more times? It's strange. If the guy you beat half to death asks you to get and stay away from him, the right thing to do is to listen, not pester him until he accepts your apology. And even though DeLuca claims Alex could've tried to make contact through one of his friends, I seem to remember DeLuca getting really standoffish when Arizona and Meredith mentioned Alex to him. Regardless, it seems like they're on non-hostile terms now, and as hard as I roll my eyes at DeLuca sometimes, I was still really touched when he gave Alex his reason for helping him: "Because Jo's been through enough." There's still no word about what this means for Alex and Jo, even though she shows up at Meredith's house for a long, erotically charged hug on the front porch. (I watched the hug three times to confirm and am comfortable with "erotically charged" as my assessment.) Neither one of them says a word, which seems fine, since their communication issues never played a part in this long, strife-riddled affair.

Also, Amelia is still hiding from Owen. Actually hiding. Not avoiding his phone calls, hiding in an apartment and refusing to answer when he knocks on the door. She does sometimes stand near the door while he's knocking, so that'sprogress. I've typed all of that out in a very judgmental manner, but now that I have, maybe Amelia has the right idea.

Follow Lauren on Twitter.

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Maggie Finally Gets the Spotlight on Grey's Anatomy and It's a Giant Bummer - Cosmopolitan.com

I never thought I'd live to see a loss as crushing as the Packers' 28-22 heartbreaker against the Seahawks in the 2014 NFC Championship Game. Then Super Bowl LI happened.

Back when Aaron Rodgers and Co. failed to close out Seattle, I viewed it as -- when factoring in the stakes and the degree of difficulty necessary to blow it -- the worst playoff loss in NFL history. The day after the game, I wrote a piece breaking down the eight plays that doomed the Packers.

I'll run that exercise back for the 2016 Falcons. If Atlanta has a favorable outcome in any of the situations below, they probably have a Lombardi Trophy right now. A warning that this is not for the faint of heart.

We learned Wednesday that Falcons defensive coordinator Richard Smith would not return in his role with the team next season. It was a reminder of how savage pro football can be as a business. Three days earlier, Smith was pitching the coordinator equivalent of a perfect game, holding Tom Brady and the Patriots to a measly field goal midway through the third quarter. And now the Pats were opting to go for it on fourth down in their own territory! The Falcons get a stop here, and they could be taking a 25-point lead -- at least! -- into the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI.

Tom Brady and Danny "I Save My Good Games For Super Bowls" Amendola had other plans.

The Patriots were as desperate as we've ever seen them. Down 28-9 with 2:06 to play in the third quarter after New England's first touchdown, Bill Belichick called for an onside kick. The Falcons recovered, which didn't even matter, since the ball deflected off Steven Gostkowski's leg before it had traveled the necessary 10 yards.

The Falcons had the ball, up 19 points, in Patriots territory, with 17 minutes to play. They moved to the 32-yard line on a Matt Ryan-to-Austin Hooper 9-yard completion to start the possession. Then the first of several mini-catastrophes to come: Left tackle Jake Matthews was called for holding on the next play (more on poor Jake later), the Falcons burned a timeout, Ryan threw an incompletion, then took a sack. Backed up to midfield, Atlanta punted it away, a golden opportunity to put more points on the board -- and quell New England's momentum -- lost.

I get it. The Falcons were aggressive in their play calling all season long. The idea of a shotgun formation and pass play on third-and-1 was not crazy when you know the history of Kyle Shanahan's explosive offense in 2016. But it was still a bad call. The Falcons had the benefit of being conservative in that spot. The clock was still their friend. Run the ball and take the odds that you'll get the five feet you need for a first down.

But Shanahan stayed aggressive and Devonta Freeman couldn't pick up a surging Dont'a Hightower. The result was disastrous. The Patriots now had a detectable pulse. There was a buzz in the building. This could happen.

The Patriots quickly turned that Ryan turnover into six points. But the Falcons were still OK, even if it didn't feel that way. If they could stop New England's two-point conversion attempt, they'd have a 10-point lead with 5:56 to play.

That's when Josh McDaniels reached back for an old Patriots favoritein the playbook. The demonic trickery made it a one-score game.

I have no idea how Julio got his feet down after corralling this Ryan pass. But he did, and it should have been remembered as the play that clinched the city of Atlanta's second professional sports championship in 179 combined seasons. The 27-yard completion set the Falcons up perfectly: First-and-10, ball on New England's 22-yard line, 4:40 to play, a 28-20 lead.

A field goal and the game is basically over. Once again, Shanahan had the luxury to go conservative and rely on the running game. Even if you fail to move the ball, you take precious time off the clock and remain well within Matt Bryant's field-goal range. But after a 1-yard loss on a Freeman rush on first down, Ryan lined up in shotgun and took a terrible sack, this time by Trey Flowers. A subsequent 9-yard completion to Mo Sanu is wiped out by a second killer Jake Matthews holding call. After an incompletion, the Falcons were forced to punt.

Atlanta went from first-and-10 from the Patriots' 22 to fourth-and-33 from the 45. The free fall was on.

One of the great catches in Super Bowl history, and also one of the most important. When the ball pops in the air, the fate of Super Bowl LI hangs in the balance. Was Edelman in the right spot ... or did he simply want it more? Whatever the case, Atlanta had just missed another golden opportunity to avoid the greatest collapse in NFL history. There was an inevitability in the air at this point.

The Falcons had cratered, but incredibly, they were still OK. Clinging to a two-point lead with 57 seconds to play, they would still likely win Super Bowl LI if they could stop the Patriots from converting on a second two-point conversion attempt.

They don't come close. Not only does Danny Amendola find the end zone on one of those unstoppable New England goal line routes, Dwight Freeney got flagged for offsides for good measure. The game was tied, but it already felt over.

The Falcons were shell-shocked, their defense cooked. In a game they once led 28-3, Atlanta was reduced to praying a coin flip went their way. It didn't. The Patriots won the toss and marched down the field for the game-winning touchdown. Brady never even took a snap on third down during the possession. It wasn't a drive so much as a coronation.

If Atlanta wins the toss, perhaps they re-group. Perhaps that incredible offense finds a way. We'll never know.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus and check out his stuff on the End Around.

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Super Bowl LI pain train: Anatomy of Falcons' collapse - NFL.com

Dr. Neil Haycocks twists and turns the 3-D image to review the head and neck CT scan from a variety of angles.

Even without being a doctor, its easy to tell from the clear, virtual image that the man has suffered a serious injury.

I dont know exactly what happened to this person, but my guess is that they were struck with some sort of blunt object, Haycocks said as he pointed out a fractured mandible and a depressed bone.

As he sliced through the patients skull to further examine his injuries, Haycocks demonstrated a crucial benefit to the virtual anatomy tables at UNLVs new School of Medicine the ability to examine a patient without destroying vital organs.

With a touch of a button, the skull was whole again.

The touchscreen tables, which replace cadavers that would be found in a traditional anatomy lab, are just one example of the innovative curriculum the first class of 60 students will encounter when they set foot in the school on July 17.

THE BACKBONE

UNLV wont be the first school to use anatomy tables.

But its the schools commitment to teaching the subject that sets it apart, according to Dr. Ellen Cosgrove, vice dean for academic affairs and education.

Weve decided to make the virtual anatomy the backbone and the framework of our anatomy instruction, she said.

Haycocks, who learned human anatomy in a traditional lab, said cadaver dissection is limited in its educational benefits.

You spend hours cutting through tissues, trying to find this or that, Haycocks said. Sometimes its well preserved, and sometimes it isnt. Sometimes you accidentally destroy whatever it is youre looking for, and sometimes youre just lost you never find out whats going on. Its a very lengthy and time consuming process.

Haycocks previously taught at a college where he oversaw a cadaver lab. He said that he loved working with the students and seeing their reactions as they cut open a human body.

Thats enjoyable for me at least, but its really inefficient, he said.

The technology can display images of the body from a variety of perspectives and angles, including 2-D cross-section and 3-D rotation.

With a slight tap, Haycocks lit up the screen with millions of tiny blue channels, illustrating a patients veins.

And in terms of instruction, virtual anatomy is beneficial because everyone gets the same information. Its also less time consuming and costs much less than a traditional cadaver lab, which runs upward of $10 million.

If you talk to most people who teach anatomy nowadays, they would agree, perhaps grudgingly, that in well under 100 years, nobody is going to cadaver dissection anymore, Haycocks said.

COMBATING INERTIA

Haycocks sees several benefits from a curriculum standpoint, but he also points out a few flaws to the system.

For me, the main disadvantage is that you dont have that first patient experience with a real human body, he said.

Given that a first patient often resonates with students, others in the medical community might also question the virtual anatomy approach.

A lot of education in general, and medical education in particular, theres a lot of inertia, Haycocks said. Things have been done a certain way for the last 150 years, and by God, the faculty had to do it a certain way so theyre going to make the students do it a certain way.

Haycocks said a fourth-year elective is in the works that would give students the opportunity to learn at a month-long boot camp to become an autopsy technician.

If you want to practice cutting human tissue without any of the rules of surgery, its hard to beat someone who died the day before, Haycocks said.

Cosgrove said it might take a student in a traditional lab an hour of dissection to view a particular nerve and what path it takes.

At UNLV, students will be able to go through several virtual anatomy stations that have specific learning objectives with problems for them to solve.

At the end of the two hours, you emerge from that experience with a wealth of information, she said.

Contact Natalie Bruzda at nbruzda@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3897. Follow @NatalieBruzda on Twitter.

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UNLV medical school brings a virtual touch to anatomy studies - Las Vegas Review-Journal