Grey’s Anatomy marks 300th-episode milestone

Cast members may come and go, but medical soap still strong in its 14th season

Grey’s Anatomyis the second-longest commitment of Ellen Pompeo’s life, second only to her relationship with husband Chris Ivery, whom she started dating 17 years ago.

And both hit major milestones Thursday: her medical soap — now in its 14th season — marks its 300th episode (7 p.m. on CTV, 8 p.m. on ABC), the same day as their 10th wedding anniversary.

Pompeo, who plays surgeon Meredith Grey, describes the episode as a “love letter to the original cast,” of which only three other members remain from the diverse lineup that made the 2005 midseason replacement an instant hit: Chandra Wilson (Dr. Miranda Bailey), Justin Cham- bers (Dr. Alex Karev) and James Pickens Jr. (Dr. Richard Webber).

Along the way, the actors who played her fellow Seattle Grace interns — Katherine Heigl, T.R. Knight and Sandra Oh — left the show, sometimes in tabloid-ready fashion. Ditto for Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey, who were written out after their personal issues spilled over into work.

ABC Entertainment chief Channing Dungey says the show — which supplanted Shonda Rhimes’ fading Scandal as ABC’s top drama in recent years — weathered multiple cast changes, thanks to the producer’s steady hand.

“She and her writing staff have never been afraid to push boundaries; they take risks and the audience follows. Fourteen seasons later, Shonda’s passion for these characters and her investment in this world is as strong as it’s ever been and that keeps the storytelling fresh.”