Grey’s Anatomy season 14: Krista Vernoff joins Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers

If you loved the earlier Grey’s Anatomy seasons but felt as though there was something missing as of late, it may have been the work of Krista Vernoff. She was an integral part of the first several years of the show, but hasn’t been a part of the program in a major capacity since 2011, when she wrote and was an executive producer.

Since that time, Vernoff’s credits have been many, including Private Practice and Showtime’s Shameless. She’s also worked on Wonderfalls and Charmed, so if you’re wanting someone with a significant TV resume aboard this show, you’re clearly getting it with her. That’s why we are so thrilled that she is back in the inner circle working on stories for Ellen Pompeo and the rest of the cast.

Per TVLine, Vernoff will be a co-showrunner for the upcoming fourteenth season alongside Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers, and is writing the two-hour premiere airing this fall. (Check the premiere guide for all of the dates!) One thing that we should note about this premiere episode, for now, is that it seems to be listed as just one installment; it’s not a double-episode, so we’re curious to see if it will eventually count as two on the episode count.

Vernoff is coming on board at a time where there is a slight shakeup behind the scenes at Grey’s Anatomy, given that recent co-showrunner Stacy McKee is moving over to the firefighter spin-off, which just cast its first major character yesterday.

One of the reasons why this show needs three showrunners in the first place is because you’re juggling a huge cast with a ton of episodes, and you also have Rhimes/Beers committing some of their time elsewhere with Scandal. Pete Nowalk is the showrunner over on Hot to Get Away with Murder, but Rhimes/Beers are also listed as executive producers there. Shonda remains one of the busiest people working in television, and that’s not changing even with this being the final Scandal season or with The Catch no longer coming on the air.

If you missed it…

Grey’s Anatomy season 14 is kicking things off in a rather unusual way this time, as production has shifted up to Seattle! As we reported, this is not meant to be a permanent thing; instead, the producers are just getting some exterior footage of the characters out on location that they can use later this season for whenever they see fit. It’s a great opportunity to add a little bit more depth to a series that ABC clearly isn’t getting rid of anytime soon. With the cast still enjoying what they’re doing and with Rhimes and the team still creating good stories — let alone with the ratings still strong — there’s no reason to think that the show will end anytime soon.

What do you think about Vernoff returning to Grey’s Anatomy for the new season? Share in the comments below! (Photo: ABC.)