How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy - Softcover

Rice, Lynette

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1472290321 ISBN 13: 9781472290328

Publisher: Headline, 2021

Synopsis

The first inside story of one of TV's most popular and beloved dramas, Grey's Anatomy.

'I'm a Black woman casting my own show. I wanted their world to look like the world that I live in. I don't think about it in those terms [diversity], and I militantly think I don't have to.' Shonda Rhimes

'Multiple generations have discovered Derek through Netflix. They are passionate around the world. It's humbling.' Patrick Dempsey


More than 15 years after its premiere, Grey's Anatomy remains one of the most beloved dramas on television in the US and the UK. It continues to win its time slot and has ranked in the Top 20 most watched shows in primetime for most of its 17-season run. It currently averages more than 9 million viewers each week.

Now it's time to hear from the people who made the show happen.

A cultural touchstone, it introduced the unique voice and vision of Shonda Rhimes, it made Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh and T.R. Knight household names, and injected words and phrases into the cultural lexicon like 'McDreamy,' and 'you're my person.' And the behind-the-scenes drama has always been just as juicy as what was happening in front of the camera, from the high-profile firing of Isaiah Washington to Katherine Heigl's fall from grace and Patrick Dempsey's shocking death episode. The show continued to haemorrhage key players, but the beloved hospital series never skipped a beat.

Lynette Rice's How to Save A Life takes a deep dive into the show's humble start, while offering exclusive intel on the behind-the-scenes culture, the most heartbreaking departures and the more polarizing plotlines. It's the perfect gift for all Grey's Anatomy stans out there.

'It's incredible how this show just keeps resonating with the young generation. It's really touching.' Ellen Pompeo

'As much of my life as I feel like I [gave that] character, she has saved me and helped me grow into the artist that I am. . . . If [Shonda] didn't ask me to come back for the series finale, I would hurt her.' Sandra Oh

About this title

About the Author

LYNETTE RICE has covered the entertainment industry for 25 years. She's currently an editor-at-large at Entertainment Weekly and was the only journalist to secure an exclusive interview with Patrick Dempsey after his 2015 departure from Grey's Anatomy. She previously wrote about the TV industry for The Hollywood Reporter. A native of Redlands, Ca., How to Save a Life is her first book. She lives in Sherman Oaks, California.

From the Back Cover

Inside the TV Drama That Defied Expectations and Became a National Phenomenon

'I'm a Black woman casting my own show. I wanted their world to look like the world that I live in. I don't think about it in those terms [diversity], and I militantly think I don't have to.' Shonda Rhimes

'Multiple generations have discovered Derek through Netflix. They are passionate around the world. It's humbling.' Patrick Dempsey

'I remember I was on a plane with Isaiah Washington, T.R. Knight, Jim Pickens and Patrick Dempsey headed to Seattle. It was during the third season of Grey's Anatomy, when we were definitely at the height of our popularity. We were walking through the airport. Of course, nobody knows me because I'm the writer. But it was like being with the Beatles. People would stop them every thirty seconds to get a picture. It was really cool.

We mostly shot in the woods, which was an hour drive outside the city, but we also shot on the streets of Seattle. That was crazy because women were on their way to work and would just stop because they were all of a sudden face-to-face with the Grey's Anatomy actors. Anywhere from three hundred to four hundred people would gather, just to watch. The actors were very gracious and posed for pictures. But seriously, I even said to somebody, "Where are you supposed to be?" And she said, "Oh, I was supposed to be at work 45 minutes ago, but I'm not gonna miss this." It was definitely a fun time to be in television.' Mark Wilding, executive producer for Grey's Anatomy, 2005-2012


'It's incredible how this show just keeps resonating with the young generation. It's really touching.' Ellen Pompeo

'As much of my life as I feel like I [gave that] character, she has saved me and helped me grow into the artist that I am.' Sandra Oh

From the Inside Flap

More than fifteen years after its premiere, Grey's Anatomy remains one of the most beloved dramas on television. It has ranked in the Top 20 most-watched shows in primetime for most of its seventeen-season run and it currently averages more than fifteen million global viewers each week.

Beyond that, it's been a cultural touchstone. It introduced the unique voice and vision of Shonda Rhimes; it made Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh and T.R. Knight household names; and injected words and phrases into the cultural lexicon, such as 'McDreamy,' and 'you're my person.' And the behind-the-scenes drama has always been just as juicy as what was happening in front of the camera, from the controversial departure of Isaiah Washington to Katherine Heigl's fall from grace and Patrick Dempsey's shocking death episode. The show continued to hemorrhage key players, but the beloved hospital series never skipped a beat.

Lynette Rice's How to Save a Life takes a totally unauthorized deep dive into the show's humble start, while offering exclusive intel on the behind-the-scenes culture, the most heartbreaking departures and the more polarizing plotlines. This exhaustively enthusiastic book is one that no Grey's Anatomy fan should be without.

Edition details

• Publisher: Headline
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1472290321
• ISBN 13: 9781472290328
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320