Krista Vernoff News

You've watched "Haunt You Every Day" and shared your thoughts with us, as well as with fellow fans, via comments and forum topics. Now it's time to read what Krista Vernoff has to say about the fifth Grey's Anatomy episode of the fall.

On the show's writers blog, Krista posted some thoughts on "Haunt You Every Day." Follow the link at the bottom for her full entry. Excerpts below...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love Halloween (you can't believe how excited I am to dress my 7-month-old in a monkey costume and carry her around the neighborhood, no one can tell me I'm too old for that!!) I'm ranting, as usual, but my point is... Meredith.

That moment where she tells Mark that Ellis never got Halloween together and didn't approve of knocking on doors, begging for food... that moment explains so so so much to me about our lovely, broken Meredith.

That her first experience trick or treating is taking an earless boy around the hospital to make his pro-bono surgery happen, I find it heartbreaking.

And I love that Mark points out to her that she fell pretty far from the Ellis tree. I think it was critically important to Meredith to hear those words, because Mer is feeling the fear that she will die alone like her Mom. Because Derek said he might find someone else before she's ready. And she doesn't know how to get ready.

Meredith is an emotional cripple who's unwilling or unable to lay her ass down on a therapist's couch for the many years it takes to work through issues like she has.

Meredith Grey's version of therapy - her very best idea - is to bring her mother's ashes to work. Y'know, in a strange way it makes sense.

She understands she's been sticking her mom in the back of her closet, literally and metaphorically - and that if she doesn't start to look at this stuff (i.e.: herself) she's in danger of dying alone (i.e.; losing Derek forever). Life is hard isn't it?

But I love and applaud Meredith's willingness to try - as she explains to Derek, when his hands are covered in mommy dust and he's looking at her like maybe, just maybe he should escort her up to the psych ward, "This is me trying."
Follow the link to continue reading Krista Vernoff's blog ...

ABC's Grey's Anatomy makes it's way back September 27 with a bunch of changes. The season premiere is titled "A Change is Gonna Come," in fact.

Indeed, Kate Walsh is off to an ABC spin-off called Private Practice and gone is Isaiah Washington to Bionic Woman (and eventually his own series) with NBC.

So what's up with Grey's Anatomy? Us Weekly reports that executive producer Krista Vernoff says expect loads of drama. For one, she dishes on an intern that will be under Meredith Grey's tutelage this season.

Follow the jump for a picture of Mer's new intern ...

Continue Reading...

We've received multiple emails regarding the message appearing before the end credits of "Six Days (Part II)," which read "In Memory of Bob Verne."

This man is not the actor who played Harold O'Malley, whose name is George Dzundza (pictured, with T.R. Knight). It is the father of Krista Vernoff, executive producer of Grey's Anatomy and one of its principal writers. In writing the two-part "Six Days" story line, Vernoff drew upon her own experience with her dad's short, losing battle with esophageal cancer.

Bob Verne's story is told through Harold O'Malley, and Krista's grief is shown, in part, through George. Here's what Vernoff has to say about it on her official blog about the episode:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The card at the end [of "Six Days"] was a tribute to my father. He died six years ago at the age of 56 after a very short battle with esophageal cancer. He called me one day at my office at Charmed and told me he thought he had the flu. A week after that he had surgery on a massive tumor at the base of his esophagus.

Before the surgery he was laughing and celebrating with family. He had a profoundly positive attitude. After the surgery, he had a massive scar down his belly and was intubated and pale, and upon seeing him, I, who thought of myself as quite strong and educated and capable of handling that moment, started to shake and then hyperventilate and had to be helped out of the room.

Continue Reading...

Thursday night's episode, "I Am a Tree," was a stellar one, marking the return of the Grey's Anatomy we know and love. We thought you'd like to read an excerpt from episode's writer, Krista Vernoff, who talks about it on the show's official writers blog.

Specifically, we were fascinated by the fact that the episode's memorable, brutally honest brain tumor patient, Benjamin, was played by Peter Paige (pictured below), one of Krista's best friends in life. Peter is also directing a new play written by Krista. See below!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, I have to take a moment to write to you about Benjamin. Oh my God, he broke my heart -- and not just because the actor who played him, the brilliant and multi-talented Peter Paige -- has been one of my very best friends for the last 20 years.

When they had to shock his heart on the table, I burst into tears -- and not just cause I’m four months pregnant and everything makes me cry and it almost killed me to see my Peter looking like he was maybe dying.

I love Benjamin because he makes me laugh. And he really made me think, just like he made Meredith think, about how much we should really run around all day controlling every impulse we have in favor of being "polite."

I mean, life is short, people die. If your hair conditioner isn’t working, don’t you want some to tell you? I know my Peter Paige tells me, which is why he’s my best friend.

Finally, I’m going to take this opportunity for a moment of unadulterated self-promotion. A play I wrote, "Me, My Guitar and Don Henley" is opening in New York on October 7 in a tiny little theatre in the East Village.

If you are an East Coast dwelling theatre-goer and you like my episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and you like my rambling and over-sharing, I think you will like my play, which is, coincidentally, directed by Peter Paige and includes a large amount of over-sharing.

If you don’t like my rambling and over sharing? Like, if you’re about to write to me and go, "Stupid Krista! Why do you think we CARE about you and your stupid life? GEEZ -- we wanna hear more about Meredith cause you’re stupid, you dummy" -- then you probably shouldn’t come see my play.

NOTE: If you do, here's the link.

Krista Vernoff, one of the driving, creative forces behind Grey's Anatomy, has signed a two-year deal with Touchstone Television. The respected writer/producer was given a seven-figure pact, as well as a promotion to executive producer of the ABC medical drama.

The deal replaces Vernoff's existing deal with the studio, and will involve her developing new projects in addition to working alongside creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes (who has been given a contract extension herself) on Grey's Anatomy.

“Krista has really stepped up on Grey’s Anatomy and earned a spot as part of the leadership team. We’ve also had a great experience with her in development and look forward to working with her again on her next creation,” said Touchstone TV's Executive V.P., Julia Franz.

Prior to making her mark on the show we know and love, Vernoff contributed to a number of shows, most notably Charmed, where made her way up from story editor to a co-producer by the end of her tenure (2000-2004). She also served as producer of Wonderfalls in 2004 and has an episode of Law & Order to her credit.

She has written five Grey's Anatomy episodes exclusively, including some of the young series' best-known: "Make Me Lose Control," "Into You Like A Train," "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," "Yesterday" and "If Tomorrow Never Comes." We're glad that Krista remains on board and look forward to more stellar efforts this fall.