August 2009 News Archive

Below is ABC's Season 6 overview of Grey’s Anatomy, posted on the show's official site and as a press release to sum up what the new campaign has in store for us.

It also serves as a recap of last season for those unfamiliar.

Here's the network's brief overview. Tell us what you think, and what you are most excited for as we prepare for the sixth season of Grey's just 25 days from now ...

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It seems like the doctors of Seattle Grace Hospital are always fighting for something, from access to cutting-edge surgeries to relationships to patients’ lives.

And they don’t always win.

After a long, hard struggle, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) may have finally won the battle for each other’s hearts, sealing their love for one another with vows written on, of all things, a blue post-it note.

One battle the staff of Seattle Grace may be losing is saving the lives of two of their own, Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) and George O’Malley (T.R. Knight).

And Alex Karev (Justin Chambers, pictured above), Izzie’s new husband, is left holding his breath until next season’s premiere along with the rest of us.

Meanwhile ...

• Tough-loving Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) is fighting her own battles. She faces the very real possibility of losing her husband over her extreme dedication to her career.
• Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) is fighting relationship fears while on-again-off-again boyfriend Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) fights the emotional scars that he brought home from Iraq.
• Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) is fighting for her family’s respect as a new relationship with Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) blossoms into the healthy romance she needs.
• Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) is trying to overcome his past and become a better man - with or without Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh). Perhaps Lexie is too young for him after all.
• Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.), The Chief, is fighting to keep his hospital together and to find some way to forgive himself for his past mistakes.

Grey’s Anatomy can be as complicated as any neurosurgery, with episodes that will make you laugh out loud, cry your eyes out and cheer its victories - whether they involve saving a patient’s life or sealing that kiss we’ve all been hungering to witness.

Pregnant Ellen Pompeo was joined by 25 friends - including Grey's Anatomy co-star Sandra Oh, Private Practice leading lady Kate Walsh and Eric Dane's wife Rebecca Gayheart - for a baby shower held Saturday afternoon at Katherine Heigl's home.

Heigl lives in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. Ellen Pompeo and her husband of almost two years, Chris Ivery, are expecting a little baby girl in October.

"Ellen looked gorgeous in a white summer dress with her hair in a braided up-do. She seemed very excited to celebrate with her girlfriends," a close source said.

The catered, outdoor bash was held in the back yard. Umbrellas shielded guests from the heat, while pink flower arrangements and candles accented the tables.

Guests brought gifts wrapped in girly pink and yellow colors.

Many of the adorable gifts – which included a Sleep Sheep toy mobile, Sleepy Safari stacking toys, organic hooded towels and a Kiddopotamus organic swaddle wrap – came straight from the Juvenile Shop in Sherman Oaks, Calif., where Pompeo is registered.

Earlier in the day, Ellen Pompeo and friend Nicole Richie – who also is pregnant right now, with her second child with rocker Joel Madden – shared some time together.

She has certainly not let her pregnancy slow her down.

When not busy filming episodes of Grey's Anatomy, she keeps in shape with workout sessions at the gym. In addition, she and Ivery are remodeling their new home.

Nora Zehetner (pictured below) and Robert Baker have been cast as two of the recurring residents surfacing in Episode 5 of the upcoming season of Grey's Anatomy.

Zehetner, familiar to TV fans from her runs on Heroes and Everwood, will play a Seattle Grace doctor described by a source as "feisty, very smart and competitive."

She is poised to butt heads with at least one member of Meredith Grey's posse. Which one(s) of the original interns-turned-residents she feuds with is unclear.

Meanwhile, Robert Baker, from The CW's short-lived Valentine, has been cast as the seemingly nicest of the new residents, who may be hiding a nastier side.

The casting of the docs comes as Grey's Anatomy prepares to bid adieu to George O'Malley (in the season premiere) and accomodate Ellen Pompeo's maternity leave.

Krista Vernoff, co-executive producer of the program, recently stated that Mer-Der is still the focus of the show, but Ellen will nevertheless miss some time this year.

Precisely why the new residents' arrive is the big mystery here, and one that Shonda Rhimes isn't willing to reveal. At least until her next Twitter or blog posting.

Scrubbing in alongside Zehetner and Baker will be Jesse Williams (Beyond the Break, the Joss Whedon thriller The Cabin in the Woods) as a charismatic caregiver.

Maybe not yet, but the Grey's Anatomy star is the subject of such speculation after a romantic stay at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, Calif., on August 21.

How could Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart be so lighthearted after the release of what could be a career-killing sex tape (or just naked tape) last week?

Because they may be expecting a little McSteamy!

Or at least trying for one.

"Having a baby has been a top priority of the past six months," reveals a friend of the couple.

Another source says that Rebecca, 38, and Grey's Anatomy hunk Eric, 36, have actually had trouble conceiving since they eloped to Las Vegas in 2004.

Some sources say Rebecca's finally 3-4 months pregnant. While we're hesitant to believe that, the couple is said to be trying harder than ever to have kids.

"She turned down a role on Gossip Girl because she didn't want to be away from Eric or travel that far. It was bad for her health," the insider says. "She also turned down a Hallmark movie and a Lifetime movie because she is trying to have a baby."

Welcome, readers, to the 173nd Grey's Anatomy Insider Caption Contest!

Our winner is nexbg. Congrats! The winning entry appears below the pic.

This week's honorable mentions go out to David, Komivo and Just a Girl. 

Thanks to all of you for playing the Grey's Anatomy Insider Caption Contest!

Meredith: Your hospital - number 12!!!
Chief: Ring thrown in your face!!!

For those of you who don’t follow Shonda Rhimes on Twitter, Grey’s Anatomy's creator and executive producer shared a picture of Patrick Dempsey on the show's set today.

Shonda wanted to send out a “Hello!” from the show's leading man himself and put out a little call for support for the new Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing.

So take a look at Patrick Dempsey’s handsomeness below, then follow the link to his charity organization. Everyone wins. It’s for a very good cause, we think you'll agree ...

Get ready for a double dose of Grey's Anatomy on this Thursday evening.

After "I Follow You Into the Dark" airs at 8 p.m, ABC will be airing "Stand By Me" at 9 p.m.

Follow the link to check out Grey's Anatomy Insider's official episode recap of the latter!

Grey's Anatomy videos and pictures from the episode are up, as is our music guide and list of Grey's Anatomy quotes. Tune in tonight and see Meredith stand by a sad McDreamy.

That's what love is all about, loyalty through thick and thin! We heart MerDer.

Thanks for watching and being part of the #1 Grey's Anatomy fan community!

Tonight, ABC will be airing two repeats of Grey's Anatomy, the first being "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" an hour early at 8 p.m. Click here for an official recap of this episode.

Grey's Anatomy videos and pictures from the episode are live, as is our music guide and a list of top Grey's Anatomy quotes from this and every episode since the beginning.

As always, you can count on the Insider to update you on news and Grey's Anatomy spoilers as soon as we hear anything. Thanks for reading and watching along with us!

Just a few more weeks until Season 6 of Grey's Anatomy premieres!

Things are getting hairy on Grey's Anatomy. Literally.

Check out this excerpt from E! Online's spoiler Q&A today ...

Q: Any news on Grey's Anatomy? I can't wait for the new episodes.

A: Sources say Grey's Anatomy has cast two hairy new guest stars: a monkey and a bear.

Yes, in an upcoming episode, the Grey's Anatomy cast members work with a monkey and a bear for some reason, and no, those aren't euphemisms for anything.

Will the monkey and the bear fare better than Meredith's dog Doc or that deer Izzie did surgery on? We can only hope, Grey's Anatomy fans. We can only hope.

Actress Alexie Gilmore is busy shooting an episode of Private Practice this week.

After that, her character will "cross over" to Grey's Anatomy in the ABC drama's latest joint venture with its successful spinoff. As we know, the hospitals in Seattle and Los Angeles have shared patients and doctors with one another in seasons' past.

On Private Practice, Gilmore plays a dying woman who needs a kidney transplant, and her sister is the only person who can give it to her. According to the L.A. Times, she's already had to undergo the torso mold to prepare for her surgery scene.

No word yet on what will happen to her character on Grey's Anatomy.

The crossover concept is part of the network's multiple-character sweeps plan to boost viewership for both. Judging by last season's, it should be a success. Chandra Wilson's character, Dr. Miranda Bailey, is believed to be crossing over to Private Practice this year.