From Shonda Rhimes, creator and writer of upcoming post-Super Bowl episode

Episode Airdate: 2/5/06 -- After the Super Bowl!!!

So I’m all…”Pitch for the Superbowl episode?  Sure, why not…they won’t pick us...so it’s no big deal…”  I typed out a one page synopsis and sent it in to the powers-that-be at Touchstone and ABC.  Then I lay back down on the couch and promptly forgot about it.

They picked us.

Now, to understand what this meant to me, you have to understand how I write.  I don’t.  Not until the last possible minute.  Then I churn it all out in a crazed frenzy while eating ice chips and cursing the gods for not making me something sensible like an astronaut or a prima ballerina.  Prima ballerinas do not have to write things.  But I guess since they have to be freakishly thin, they may have it worse off than me.   

But I was sick.  Actually sick – not my usual drama sick.  So sick that members of the cast were peering through the door at me in my office and very kindly trying to suggest that maybe I might want to consider heading over to the nearest hospital and moving in for a while.  So sick that the medical research team did an intervention and sent one of their own in to examine.  So sick that the entire show had to be shut down for a week so that I could recover enough to not cough up pieces of my lung on my computer screen while writing.  Let me tell you: it sucked.

Now, I tell you this as a shameless ploy for sympathy.  I love sympathy as I am a neurotic writer.  And to distract you from the fact that, because I am a neurotic writer, I procrastinated and procrastinated until literally the DAY of the read-through (a read-through is when we gather together the entire cast and they do us the honor of reading the script out loud at a big round table – even after a season and a half, it is amazing to me that I get to hear my words read aloud by these truly talented people).  At which point, I started writing like a crazed fiend.  I finished writing the script just in time for my team to make copies of the script and race them over to put them into the cast’s hands as they were taking their seats at the big round table.  None of us, including me, had any idea if what I’d written would even work.   I was nervous and wishing I was still sick.  Because you never know.  I love my actors and my actors like me well enough.  But still…

Perhaps they would chase me with torches and stone me to death with rage at my idiocy.  Perhaps they’d smile politely but coldly at me and run to call their agents so that they could beg to get off this show.  Or, you know, perhaps they would raise me on their shoulders and carry me around singing showtunes in my honor.

They did nothing of the sort.  What they did do was gasp, yell, hoot with laughter, applaud and openly weep as they read the pages aloud.   Ellen Pompeo shrieked “HOLY CRAP!” right in the middle of the reading.  Katie Heigl started to cry somewhere around page 20.  Sandra Oh just kept whispering “oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh, oh, OH MY GOSH.”  And after I got hugs.  I am not the hugging kind but still…if you stand very still and hug back, it is nice.  The director, Peter Horton, was thrilled.  The writers were thrilled.  The studio and the network were thrilled.

Thrilled.  It’s good, that word.  Thrilled.

So please watch.

I hope you like it.  A lot of work by the cast and crew went into this episode.  Work I’ll be able to explain to you after the episode airs and it stops being the big giant secret episode that we don’t talk about…

Comments

[Greys Fan]

Shonda,

Seriously, you are so incredibly talented. We are counting the minutes to the Super Bowl episode.

There was no tickler needed, but we still appreciate the lead in.

We can't wait!!!

Thanks so much for entertaining us.

[The Mar Mar]

Thank you for giving me something to do on Sunday night. I am SO addicted to this show. I can't watch it just once. NO...I have to DVR it and watch it twice. I can't even watch it air time. I will wait because I get to excited and don't want to have to deal with commercials. Please just give up on keeping McDreamy with his hag wife!! I am such a MerDer fan!!

Good luck to future shows!!

[Kodi]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SHONDA!
i love love love you! thank SO much for grey's! it is my FAVORITE show ever! i just CAN'T WAIT til sunday! the previews were awesome! keep up the wonderful job!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Tara]

oh my gosh, i am SOOOOOOOOO happy that greys got picked. it is now my favorite show, and i think i will just watch the superbowl now so i don't miss greys anatomy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JW]

Okay, well not that I wasn't looking forward to it anyway but now I just don't know if I can stand the wait!!! Why does a week feel soooo long!!! Can't wait to see it and I am sure it will be great!

[Annie]

I can't begin to tell you what a fan I am... I am a Mer/Der fanatic. The linen closet scene was priceless.. I do agree with some of the other comments we are due for their conclusion. One thought: Derek is at the bar( only appropriate)in comes Addison.She sees him gets a drink and goes to talk to him. She realizes that he still loves Meredith. She has caught the way he looks at her.... and she and Derek both deserve better so... she is moving out of the dreadful trailer( Laugh) and if in 6 months or less he doesn't get together with Meredith and she doesn't meet someone then maybe just maybe they might work it out. So for now I think this is the best solution. Goodbye and I wish you well. Addison will then look like a good guy and stay with the show.

I think I like it...

[SNK]

I thought I was excited before and how I can hardly wait. On a more serious and long-range note, I can not thank you enough for this show. I did not go to medical or nursing school and often think if what could have been with both a heavy heart and tremendous releive. This show embodies every reason I wanted to be a doctor or nurse and every reason why I just plain could not do it. Thank you for touching me, making me laugh, and making me cry all at the same time.

[Jami K]

Thanks so much for sharing your point of view. I wasn't too sure in the beginning of the show, but now, like everone else, I can't wait for Sunday nights. I feel emotionally invested in this show. (A TV show????) I can't believe how excited I am for each new episode.
Does Code Black mean the hosptial is closed down, no one can enter, no one can leave??

[lostgirl]

Shonda,

You frickin' rock!!!
This is the best show on TV. You've actually given us an entire cast that we, as your loyal viewers, actually care about. Heck, we even like Addison. By the way, I would like to have George for my birthday (May 20).

Thanks!!

[Ruthi]

Miss Rhimes-
Wow. Let me just say, I was laughing as I read your blog, because I do the exact same thing when I write-except my stuff is about one-millionth as good as yours is. I was so excited to hear that GA got the Superbowl episode-and that was before the previews. And then you add the fact that it is SHONDA RHIMES, my personal hero, that wrote the episode? Let's just say that I will not be removing myself from in front of the TV on Sunday night, even for commercials. I'm a huge fan of your work, like the Princess Diaries 2 and Crossroads, even though Britney's acting is...never mind.
Anyway, let me just tell you how awesome I think Grey's Anatomy is. I've been watching from the pilot, and all I can say is Oh. My. God. I loved TV before I saw Grey's Anatomy, but what you guys do with the show is just...amazing. I like to pride myself in thinking I'm an okay writer, but compared to you guys, I can barely loop words together. I don't think there's been an episode yet that hasn't made me laugh, cry, AND want to write something half as good someday. The emotion and brilliance that shines through the script is fantastic, and each one of the actors is magnificent. I can't wait for the Super Bowl episode, I just hope that everyone is okay after the bomb. And even though Bang (Burke+Yang) is my favorite couple, of COURSE I'm rooting for DerMer. That last scene in "Break on Through..." Wow. I'm not sure how to say this without sounding weird, but Ellen Pompeo is one hell of a crier. EVERYONE is great on this show-and congratulations to Sandra on her GG and SAG! She's my favorite actress ever!!!
Anyway, I can't wait for Sunday. Only 4 days, 5 hours, 53 minutes. Yippee!
*~*Ruthi*~*

[Sylvie]

I LOVE the show and I can't wait until Sunday's episode! Congratulations for being recognized at the SAG's! Have I mentioned that I LOVE the show and I LOVE your writing and I I LOVE Christina and Burke together, Patrick Dempsey is soo Dreamy but I Isaiah Washington is SOOOOOOO Dreamy!

[Shawn]

Very excited for Sunday night. I heard from a few people that Code Black is for bio-terror threat...don't know if that is true and christina ricci is a guest, but not a patient and somehow she has something to do with the threat...

cannot wait...superbowl,commercials, and grey's...glad i dont have class on mondays

[Kristin]

i REALLY can't wait until sunday... i've spent almost all week talking about it! i don't even care that the super bowl's on as much as before & i LOVE football!! but it has nothing on Grey's Anatomy & how excited i am every sunday!!!!!

[tomziu]

Just one question: is this episode going to last as long as usually (about 45 minutes) or more?... What a shame I will be able to watch it not earlier than on Wednesday.. :(.............. Shonda! you're the best writer in here. I'm sure this episode will simply rock :D

[Nichole]

If the cast responded that way to the script, I know my reaction already.

I fell in love with this show for the first episode last year. Now, nothing is more important than Sunday night.

I can't wait until Sunday! Super Bowl? No thank you. Call me when Grey's Anatomy is on.

[Rebecca]

This show rocks! Thank you for bringing the figments of your imagination to our lives. I am sure the SB eppisode will be awesome-as usual. And as for"THE REUNION", there are a lot of us who love Der/Addi. together. I hope they give it a real second chance.Thier first round had to have been pretty spectacular for Derek to take her back. Now,that would be a diffrent show,huh? Him actually really commiting to his wife and Mer. moving on. One way or the other your show never cease to amaze! Thanks for that!

[Margo]

Shonda...you are wonderful! So is your team of writers. Not only have you given us a great series to watch...two years now...but each episode shows a lot of thought, study, and indivitual parts of you writers in the different characters portrayed. I apprecite the gutts you all have to delve into tough topics with honesty as well as with humor! I have a family member who is a screen writer (movies) and the process he goes through is exactly as you have described for yourself. I'm glad you're feeling better and you were surrounded with so many who care about you (and, yes....I'm sure you ate it all up too huh?) SMILES at ya!! Keep the hope....the great focus...
and continue to WOW us the way you and your staff do on this. Love it!

[Mel]

Congrads!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm thrilled that you've been getting a little recognition for your spectacular writing! I have to tell you that I (& everyone that I know) LOVE the show. I love the jokes, the entire cast and the writing is just amazing.

P-P-PLEASE NEVER STOP WRITING!!!!

P.S.> I'm not sure what you have instore for George but please let him find a girl to call his own soon. I feel bad that he's not getten any!!

hehehe

[Tom]

There aren't words to descreibe my undying love for Grey's Anatomy! The spot after the super bowl is so awesome and the teaser is just killing me!!! Also, why can't we get GA on iTunes???!!!

[Vanessa]

Shonda, you're my hero. Thank you so much for this show. You're so so so talented. Can't wait till Sunday! Yay Mer/Der!!!!

[James]

Dear Shonda (if I dare to call such greatness by her first name),

Joking aside, Grey's Anatomy is pretty much some of the best television I've seen. My friends all get together each week to tune in and cheer at all the appropriate moments. We discuss the shows and quote them and I visit this site day of and salivate over the writers' comments. I worship 206 "train wreck episode", and Hereafter - Back Where I Was is an incredible song and I am now the Hereafter's biggest fan. (I also worship the episode before with the INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE cliffhanger ending. And I'm always really sad that in the recaps, they always edit out the "pretend to like your taste in music, let you have the last piece of cheesecake"... line) ..And let the laudatory comments continue.

[Even though Desperate Housewives (Do you guys watch it?!) had an awesome recent episode (definitely the best episode of the season, and the Meredith Derek thing might be dragging on a BIT long.]

I have a prompt. So one of the reasons why I think that Grey's Anatomy is such an awesome show (other than the strong thematic/metaphorical/parlleling text) is because the characters are SO LOVABLE. And I can hardly explain it. like I have definitely watched my fair share TV, and even though I find Phoebe or Ross or Will and Grace funny, I don't really find myself liking them as people. Like they really wouldn't be my friend. And no matter how big of an asshole Alex gets or how whiny Izzie gets or how biting Cristina (NOTICE HOW I GOT THE SPELLING RIGHT) gets, they are still awesome, awesome, exciting, lovable people. And I was wondering whether that was intentionally planned.

Not that I am actually expecting anything, but my contact info is meeko713@yahoo.com. And I know it would be the most incredible slippery slope if you replied to a single email, so don't worry. I will still watch the show. AND TELL EVERY LIVING HUMAN BEING TO WATCH THE SUPERBOWL EPISODE. (it's a two-parter. tricky. heh. i am emotionally preparing to deal with the most mindblowing cliffhanger in the history of tv.) (And I would also like to stress that I am NOT a stalker. Simply an enthused fan. I don't even know where Grey's Anatomy is shot.) (And I know that EVERY comment on this blog is the most complimentary stuff ever, but the same goes for all the other writers. And feel free to read any of this and ridicule it to the writing staff. Because I would feel that special... lol.)

[Nadzim]

I'm from Singapore. Your work is no doubt brilliant. Praises to your work and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't stop writing. Totally in love with the series!!! Can't wait for the next episode!!

[Mugizi]

I too would like to see GA on iTunes.

Since they already have ABC shows like LOST and DH, it shouldn't be too hard to add GA.

[Kristyn]

I have to tell ya, I just discovered this site and I am literally cracking up that all these people who have posted comments FEEL THE SAME AS ME!!!!! Wow.. I didnt think I was the only one who loved the show, but I didnt realize that other people actually freaked out waiting for the next episode like I do. I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT... I physically ache when I watch Dr. McDreamy (hello, the perfect name or what??) But Ms. Shonda, PLEASE PLEASE, I cannot hardly wait another minute for McDreamy to take Meredith's face in his hands and smooch her!! (Not that you need help with the script or anything, just a begging suggestion!!) All I can say is who cares how long you procrastinate to write if you come up with beyond perfect scripts such as these. You are brilliant. This is the coolest site ever, I never knew you could see inside the best show in the history of TV!! More after the SB episode!

[Ashley]

I really enjoy the show. I do have a suggestion, however. When Dr. Bailey has her baby, it is VERY important that she breastfeed. As a doctor she WOULD know that there is no other substitute acceptable for feeding her new born baby. Show her struggling with it if you have to, but please in the end make sure the idea is clear: breast is best!!