• Video
  • Shop
  • Culture
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Food
  • Living
  • Style
  • Travel
  • News
  • Book Club
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Contact Us
  • © 2026 ABC News
  • Culture

'Grey's Anatomy' season 17 premiere: Debbie Allen says fans will be blown away

4:50
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ cast and crew return to set with new safety precautions
ABC
ByCandice Williams
November 12, 2020, 4:34 PM

Debbie Allen says the seventeenth season of "Grey's Anatomy" won't hold back any punches when it returns tonight for its two-hour premiere.

Allen, who stars as Dr. Catherine Fox on the show, told ABC Audio that fans should expect the unexpected on the heart-stopping return of the series.

"'Grey's Anatomy' season 17 is going to blow the audience and the fans away," she said. "That's all I can tell you."

Related Articles

MORE: Ellen Pompeo reveals which 'Grey’s Anatomy' cast departures affected her most

Although Allen, who also serves as one of the show's directors, is not offering any details on what fans will see, she does offer a brief explanation as to why you "don't [want to] miss it."

"Everybody's in it," she revealed. "You're going to see things you don't think you're going to see."

Editor’s Picks

'Grey’s Anatomy' star reveals which cast departures affected her most

  • Aug 25, 2020

'Grey's Anatomy' star Kelly McCreary gives a behind-the-scenes set tour amid COVID-19

  • Oct 12, 2020

'Grey's Anatomy' star Caterina Scorsone opens up about Down syndrome and her family

  • Oct 22, 2020

The season 17 premiere will be a crossover event with "Grey's Anatomy" and "Station 19," starting at 8|7c on ABC. It will reportedly be set weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Grey's" showrunner Krista Vernoff previously spoke about why the ABC medical drama will touch on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ellen Pompeo in a scene from "Grey's Anatomy."
ABC

"There's no way to be a long-running medical show and not do the medical story of our lifetimes," she shared during the Television Academy's "Quaranstreaming: Comfort TV That Keeps Us Going" panel in July.

After speaking will real doctors and medical professionals on the front lines, she said she felt the the show had "an opportunity and a responsibility to tell some of those stories."

Ellen Pompeo in a scene from "Grey's Anatomy."
ABC

The new season of "Grey's Anatomy" kicks off tonight with a two-hour premiere starting at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

Check out a behind-the-scenes tour of the show's set from Kelly McCreary, who stars as Dr. Maggie Pierce in the ABC hospital drama, here.

Editor’s Picks

'Grey’s Anatomy' star reveals which cast departures affected her most

  • Aug 25, 2020

'Grey's Anatomy' star Kelly McCreary gives a behind-the-scenes set tour amid COVID-19

  • Oct 12, 2020

'Grey's Anatomy' star Caterina Scorsone opens up about Down syndrome and her family

  • Oct 22, 2020

Up Next in Culture—

Britney Spears arrest shown in police dashcam video

May 22, 2026

NASCAR community and beyond pays tribute to race car legend Kyle Busch

May 22, 2026

Spencer Pratt's evolution from reality star to LA mayoral candidate

May 21, 2026

'Emily in Paris' to end with upcoming season 6

May 21, 2026

Shop GMA Favorites

ABC will receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Sponsored Content by Taboola

The latest lifestyle and entertainment news and inspiration for how to live your best life - all from Good Morning America.
  • Contests
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Press
  • Feedback
  • Shop FAQs
  • ABC News
  • ABC
  • All Videos
  • All Topics
  • Sitemap

© 2026 ABC News
  • Privacy Policy— 
  • Your US State Privacy Rights— 
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy— 
  • Interest-Based Ads— 
  • Terms of Use— 
  • Do Not Sell My Info— 
  • Contact Us— 

© 2026 ABC News