When then-Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff added Station 19 to her purview in 2019, she brought in a major change, strengthening the two series’ ties and building an integrated universe highlighted by frequent crossovers, much in the vein of Dick Wolf’s OneChicago.
The new direction was underscored by a scheduling change the following season, swapping medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, which had been airing at 8 PM, and first responder series Station 19, which had been occupying the 9 PM hour.
The tweak made crossovers seamless, with Station 19‘s firefighters and paramedics responding to an accident and then taking patients to Grey Sloan Memorial where the doctors from Grey’s Anatomy would treat them.
That has been the case for the past three and a half seasons, punctuated by frequent crossovers. But today, ABC unveiled its midseason schedule, in which Station 19 is moving from 8 PM to 10 PM to make room for fellow first responder drama 9-1-1. In the new setup, Station 19 will follow Grey’s Anatomy, which remains at 9 PM. That is not very conducive to integrated storylines and crossovers.
With Vernoff departing both Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 at the end of last season and each series getting a new showrunner, the two shows’ storytelling is expected to diverge and become more independent. The scheduling change is an indication of that.
For instance, only one crossover is currently planned for the upcoming abbreviated season, in which the Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 are expected to produce 10 episodes each due to the double strike, I hear.
Going forward, Station 19, heading into Season 7, is expected to be less reliant on Grey’s Anatomy, which is kicking off its 20th season, and stand on its own, focused on its own evolution.