Here's the scoop from our God herself, Shonda Rhimes via the always amazing TV Guide. Needless to say? These five/six episodes are going to ROCK. (Yes, the following is written by Shonda Rhimes.)

I like to call these five upcoming episodes: Grey's Anatomy, Season 4, Part 2. Because for us, for the stories, it really does feel like a whole separate season. I came back to work after the strike with a whole new purpose, a new dedication. And a sense of hope. My best friend, Oprah...OK, in my head, she's my best friend, but in reality she barely knows me. But, secretly, I like to pretend I'm Gayle King because Gayle is the person who makes Oprah laugh, and who doesn't want to be the one to do that? Also, I secretly wanna be Angelina Jolie. Because of the babies and the Brad and the fabulousness, but I don't have the legs...I lost my point.
My point is that Oprah would say I have renewed my spirit or something very sage like that. For me, that means I'm starting to enjoy this again. Really enjoy this. Feel the rich possibilities. So this season - Grey's Anatomy, Season 4, Part 2 - is the season of hope. For Meredith and Derek. For Izzie. For George. For Bailey. For Callie. Hopeful things are happening. Meredith and Derek are going to get together for good. That's right. FOR GOOD. Now, if you think I'm going to tell you how it will happen, you're crazy. 'Cause it is yummy stuff. It is special. I spent a lot of nights lying in bed awake thinking about this. These characters are my friends. They are people I know well who happen to live inside my head. I worry about their shortcomings and I celebrate their victories and I so, so want them to be happy. But more than happy, I want them to be brave. These episodes about about bravery. No ferry boats crash, no bombs explode. No one we love dies. But still, Meredith and Derek getting together - how they get together - is about bravery.
Alex is going to have to be brave, too. Because things are coming to a head with the woman we know as Ava/Jane Doe/Rebecca. And when it is over, he's never going to be the same. Cristina's struggling with the loss of Burke and what that means for her surgical career. She's going to do some things we have never seen Cristina Yang do. Izzie's already been through hell, and she's coming out the other side. George is growing up, becoming the man worthy of having Bailey's son named after him. Callie, Erica, and Mark are going to go through some changes that might surprise you. Bailey struggles to fix her marriage. The Chief makes a play for the woman he loves.
A lot happens in these five episodes.
And it all ends with a kiss. A good kiss. A great kiss. A kiss so good it makes us lean into our televisions. A kiss we never saw coming. Oh, it's a major kiss. As Derek would tell us, "I'm all about the kissing. More kissing, I say." It's that kind of a kiss.
I can't tell you who's going to be doing the kissing. That's not how I roll. You'll just have to watch and see.

EEK?!
Post your speculation in the talk back section below.

...And we all have the creators of Lost to thank. This is AWESOME news! Here's the scoop from the one and only Michael Ausiello at TVGuide.com.

I can now confirm what I first teased earlier this week: Team Darlton has sealed a deal with ABC to bring us an extra hour of Lost this season.

But there's a twist.

Lost isn't the only ABC hit experiencing an unexpected growth spurt. Sources confirm to me exclusively that Grey's Anatomy will also expand its season by an hour — and it has Lost to thank!

Allow me to explain. With a 14th hour of Lost now a done deal, the show's finale will swell to three hours. But, in what can only be described as an unorthodox scheduling move, the first hour of that finale will air on May 15, and then we have to wait two weeks — until May 29 — to get the last two hours! That's right, no Lost on May 22.

Why?

Apparently, Darlton convinced ABC that the final two hours had to air together. And with the finales of Grey's and Ugly Betty already slated for May 22 at 8 and 9 pm respectively, ABC really had no other choice than to sked Lost's two-hour exit for May 29. That, in turn, created a hole on May 22 at 10 pm — hence the net's decision to tack an extra hour onto the Grey's finale.

Coming from the weirdest of sources - the creators of Lost - is an interview in which they say that ABC is planning a two-hour finale of Grey's!

We are writing it as a two hour but they want to air it as two different hours because on May 22nd, which is essentially the last day of the season, they have a two hour Grey's [Anatomy] finale which going to run from 8 to 10, and that is only going to leave an hour for us. - Damon Lindelof

So, now the question is whether or not the two hours counts as "two of the five remaining episodes," or just one. Considering that they say the season finale will be May 22, it seems as though it will be counted as one, but nevertheless, this is very exciting news, and we'll be sure to keep you updated!

Here's the awesome news from those great guys at Entertainment Weekly. [link]

The redhead is back at Seattle Grace! ABC has confirmed that Kate Walsh, whose
freshman show Private Practice is on hiatus until fall, will return to Grey's
Anatomy as Dr. Addison Montgomery for one episode this spring. Executive
Producer Shonda Rhimes is still fleshing out the script, so there's no word yet
on when Walsh's episode will air. ABC will air five originals of Grey's
beginning April 24.

This is such a shame, as it would've been a really neat storyline and a really neat character, as Josh Jackson is a great actor...Here's the scoop from TVGuide.com:

It appears Joshua Jackson's Grey's Anatomy gig has ended before it began. And once again, the writers' strike is to blame. To quickly recap, Grey's announced last fall that the ex-Dawson's Creeker would be joining the cast for a multi-episode arc as a doctor and, as I would later report, a love interest for Cristina. Unfortunately, just weeks before he was scheduled to shoot his first episode, the writers went on strike and Jackson's stint, just like the TV biz itself, was put on hold. Cut to present day: The strike is over, Grey's is headed back into production, and Jackson is — yep, you guessed it — no longer available. During the work stoppage, J.J. Abrams hand-picked the actor to headline his new X-Files-esque Fox series Fringe, which is currently in production in Toronto (and will be through mid-March). Although an attempt was made to make the scheduling work, ultimately the logistics proved too daunting. Now Grey's is forced to either recast the role or scrap it entirely. An ABC spokesperson declined to comment, but a Seattle Grace insider says a final decision will likely be made in the coming days.

According to TVGuide.com, Grey's Anatomy will return with five all-new episodes beginning Thursday, April 24th at 9pm EST. Now stay tuned for information as it comes out on these five new episodes...

So...who really knows what to believe anymore. Honestly, we're probably just going to have to wait for some official word out of ABC, but so far, the rumors are spreading that the return date for Grey's is somewhere between the middle of April, to the last Thursday in April (the 24th), to as late as May 1st. Here's the lowdown:

• People are thinking the middle of April could be the return date because CSI: is supposed to return as early as the first or second week of April, and it's hard to believe that ABC will give CBS "freebie Thursdays" until May.
• In Shonda's new Grey Matter post today, she states that because of the incredibly long process it takes to put episodes together, the return date will be the end of April (the 24th).
• And then May 1st could also be the return date, as Kristin at E! Online appears to have a rough schedule for Thursday nights.

But people seem to be freaking out because they seem to think that if Grey's returns as late as May 1st, we won't get "six to seven new episodes." It's as if they think the TV season cannot run into June. It is possible. And due to the three months off, it's also likely. So, even if Grey's does return as late as May 1st, we will still get "six to seven new episodes." They'll just run into June, and why does that matter? It's less time we have to wait between the end of season four and the beginning of season five.

Squashed hopes. We were all hoping for Grey's to return in April with some new episodes for us all, but, I guess we just have to take what we can get. Anyways, it's been reported (by Kristin at E! Online), that Grey's Anatomy will return to ABC on May 1 in its usual timeslot at 9pm EST, followed by new episodes of Lost. Here's a rundown of what Kristin is reporting:

• Lost will finish out its current seven episodes, and ends the first "pod" of the season on March 13. It will then take a six-week break and return with new episodes on April 24 at 9 pm EST.
• The following week, on May 1, Grey's will return at 9 pm EST, and Lost will move to 10 pm EST. (Kinda odd, don't you think?) This will be the schedule that sticks for the remainder of the season, and possibly into next fall.

So what do you all think of this?

Talk about some amazing (and thankful) news! Here's the scoop from Ausiello at TVGuide:

ABC is said to be finalizing a post-strike spring schedule that not only hands Lost its best available time slot, but promises to further strengthen the network's stronghold on Thursday night. According to multiple sources, ABC plans on airing this season's final five Lost episodes on Thursdays at 10 pm/ET beginning in late April, where it will follow all-new episodes of Grey's freakin' Anatomy! Throw in fresh installments of Ugly Betty at 8 pm and you've got yourself the most formidable one-two-three punch since the early days of CBS' Survivor/CSI/Without a Trace smashup. Creatively speaking, I'd go so far as to say this rivals NBC's storied Must-See-TV juggernaut back in the '90s. And the best part is that I'm hearing that ABC is strongly considering keeping this dream lineup intact this fall... and beyond.

I'm sure this doesn't come as a shock to anyone, but it is still awesome news. Here's ABC's official press release:

Today ABC Entertainment announced pickups for nine of its most popular shows, returning broadcast television's most successful fall series. ABC Entertainment ordered episodes of "Brothers & Sisters," "Desperate Housewives," "Dirty Sexy Money," "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost," "Private Practice," "Pushing Daisies," "Samantha Who?" and "Ugly Betty."

"The strength of our schedule this fall was unprecedented and speaks for itself," said Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment. "We're looking forward to building on that success."

On average during Fall 2007 (10 complete weeks: 9/24-12/2/07), ABC was the No. 1 network among Adults 18-49 (3.9/10), delivering the top position in the key young adult sales demo on 7 of the first 10 weeks of the season and ranking No. 1 during the November Sweep for the third consecutive year. In addition, ABC claimed eight of the Top 20 highest-rated TV shows among young adults during the fall, including five of the Top 10 freshman series.

Uh-oh. Watch out MerDer fans and Rose-haters. Patrick Dempsey has spoken out about the show's creative direction and the Meredith/Derek/Rose relationships. "Dempsey is actually happy about the development, saying that he feels 'encouraged' that someone new has come into to his character's life. 'It will make the storylines more interesting and compelling,' Dempsey told the New York Post. 'Last season [season three] was boring to do. Enough is enough already. It's time for the writers to go back and take a look at things and find some new paths for these characters. It was too repetitive for me.'" But he's not hopeful for Meredith and Derek's relationship. "'You would think that they would work through their difficulties and move forward. Meredith needs to get healthy. That's an interesting thing to explore with her character. Does he stand by her while she goes through that? Or do they work through their problems alone? Shonda Rhimes is very clear on what she wants to do but not clear on what the actors are going to do.'" Nonetheless, "'The opportunities that the cast is getting are certainly because of the show's success,' he said. 'As long as [Grey's Anatomy] continues, we'll stay with it.'"
So, there you have it. Meredith and Derek's future is pretty much all up in the air, Patrick Dempsey's getting excited about his role again, and Rose may just stick around longer than you want her to...

This writer's strike just keeps getting worse and worse. Apparently, Grey's Anatomy has thirteen episodes written (which is better than the previously reported 11), however, it may be a long time before we get to see those last two episodes, as Shonda refuses to edit the show (because it would go against the strike duties) and there are no more scripts after that. So, essentially, production on Grey's Anatomy will come to a stand-still (if it hasn't already). This is developing, so stay tuned...

The strike has begun...and it's already beginning to take their toll on TV as we know it. Some TV series that were set to premiere...won't. Late night sitcoms are in repeats. Heroes is having its season finale in December. And it appears as though Grey's Anatomy will be as well. Of course, there is always the off-chance that the strike could be resolved in a week...or two weeks, and nothing will be effected. However, it's not looking good. Rumor has it this strike could last a long time, possibly as long as the last writer's strike (which lasted an unprecedented 22 weeks). In this event, Grey's Anatomy has only completed 11 out of 23 ordered episodes...meaning that our season finale would be episode 411 Lay Your Hands on Me (and also the introduction of Joshua Jackson's character) and would probably air sometime in December, instead of the scheduled January 2008 (because what would be the point of holding one episode over to 2008 if there were no more to air?). So, brace yourself. Because things aren't looking up and we may be getting a season finale when we don't want one. And brace yourself even more, you MerDer fans, because things in the potential finale are not looking up for them either. Take a look at this quote from Patrick Dempsey:

"The next couple of episodes are going to be completely different with what happens with Meredith and Derek...I’m looking forward to that change and that movement...I just want the characters to continue to grow and to work things out realistically. Derek and Meredith’s relationship has gone as far as it can go. I don’t think it’s going to go unless she commits to marrying him or goes into therapy and starts working on herself. We’ll have a cliff-hanger with this last show [411 Lay Your Hands on Me] and there will be a resolve that seems to be permanent." Source: TVGuide.com

Take a deep breath and notice the keyword: permanent. And keep in mind that everyone who works on the show also loves Meredith and Derek, so there's no way they can stay apart forever. For God's sake, this is Grey's Anatomy, and that must mean something!
Nevertheless, brace yourselves...these next few weeks (or months) could be pretty rough. Stay tuned for more updates.

Apparently, the rumors are true. Episode 409 Crash Into Me is a two-parter! We can only assume, then, that Episode 410 will be called Crash Into Me, Part Two and they will both be written by the same person, but we'll have to wait for ABC's press release for that information. The expected airdate for part one is Thanksgiving Thursday, while part two's expected airdate is either December 2007 or January 2008.

Oh, Lord. Please save us from this mess.
The writers, and by writers I mean every single freaking writer in Hollywood or showbusiness, are going on strike. The strike is rumored to begin by Monday. What does this mean for our beloved Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice? Be careful, because it's not so good.
Currently, Grey's Anatomy (as evidenced by the podcast) is working on episode twelve (maybe thirteen by now) out of their 23-episode season. Private Practice is probably the same. We're not sure yet, since ABC hasn't announced it, but these may be the 12 episodes we get to see before the winter hiatus. And when the writer's strike begins...the writing stops. On Grey's Anatomy. On Private Practice. On everything. So, instead of a 3 or 4 week hiatus in December/early January, we would instead have a hiatus of months, with our shows being replaced by reality and news program, which require no writers.
This is the catrostrophic scenario.
The slighty less depressing scenario involves that of our dreaded strike lasting less than even a week, which would keep everything almost on track, and we wouldn't miss a beat.
However, even though there's no way to tell, things are not looking good.
So, be prepared because Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice may be about to go away for a long, long time.

We'll keep you updated on any details that come in regarding this. For more information, check out this post at Kristin's blog at E! Online.

Talk about some amazing news! And I'm shocked that they kept it a secret too! But, still, I'm thrilled that Dr. Erica Hahn has officially joined the Seattle Grace staff and is now a series regular. For all the info, check out Michael Ausiello's interview with Brooke Smith!

Congratulations!
Brooke Smith: Thanks!

You must've had an idea this was coming….
Smith: Honestly, I wasn't expecting it, [probably] because I didn't want to be disappointed if it didn't happen. I thought it was really cool when you [floated the idea], because I thought, "Wow, I didn't even think of that!" And literally a couple days after we spoke, they called.

Did they come right out and offer a full-time gig? Or were they just offering another guest spot?
Smith: No, it was, "Hey, can you come full-time?" Thank god. I couldn't handle any more dabbling. It's too much. [Mock anguish] I feel like I want someone to commit to me already!

What was your first reaction?
Smith: You know, we were kind of excited. [Laughs] I say "we" because my husband and I were like, "Wow, OK." We had just finished [renovating our apartment] in New York, and put down a deposit on school for our little girl. But, aside from that, we just said, "All right, I guess we're moving to L.A. for a little while." But we're going back to New York at the end of this.

Do you like that Dr. Hahn is a little bit of an antagonist?
Smith: Yeah. I've heard people say [Dr. Hahn] is abrasive. [Laughs] Dr. Hahn is a workaholic and she's very professional and, you know, I think she feels that there should be professionalism at work, and when other people do things that aren't professional she gets a little upset.

And lord knows, there are a lot of people acting unprofessional at Seattle Grace.
Smith: There are! For god's sakes, c'mon, it's a hospital, people!

It's not a Motel 6.
Smith: Exactly! Lord.

Since you're sticking around, I guess it's safe to assume that they're going to delve a little more into Dr. Hahn's background… maybe give her a love interest?
Smith: I think so. Honestly, as of now, there's only a little hinting. I'm getting some suggestions….

Like what?
Smith: There might be a certain man there who's interested in me. But I don't know what Dr. Hahn will think of that. It's really interesting. I haven't worked like this before. We start shooting the next episode on Monday and I don't have a script yet. We'll get it tomorrow, and you just sort of read them out loud with everyone, and you're like, "Oh my god!" I know a little bit about her. And, certainly, I have a dialogue with the writers and I ask them questions and they sort of steer me down their same path. But I don't think anyone knows what's going to happen…. The other day I joked, "I know who I'm hooking up with!" There's this surgical nurse who's always there. When she's there I'm thrilled, because she always makes me feel very real — 'cause she's a real [surgical nurse]. I turned to her at one point and said, "Are you single on the show?" She doesn't even have a name on the show and I'm already trying to hook up with her.

I can see Dr. Hahn hitting it off with Cristina.
Smith: Secretly, we pushed for that. You know, Sandra [Oh] and I played lovers in [the off-Broadway play] Stop Kiss.

You know, there were rumors a while back that Cristina might be bisexual….
Smith: I know. I heard those rumors.

Then it's destined to happen!
Smith: That's what I think. But I don't know….

I think Dr. Hahn would make an awesome lesbian.
Smith: I think so, too.

Could it happen?
Smith: I honestly don't know. I've certainly let [the producers] know I'm open to it.

What was their reaction?
Smith: They were like, "OK, duly noted!" I think they wanted me to shut up already.

The fact is, Seattle Grace needs a gay character.
Smith: Well, hey, you called it that I [would be] on the show full-time, so….

Did the cast welcome you back with open arms?
Smith: They've been great. Everybody's great. It's very comfortable… which is weird. It feels like it shouldn't be, because it's such a big show.

And it hasn't always been the happiest place to work.
Smith: I guess that was last season. I haven't seen any of that. And I didn't see it the last time I was there. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm in some sort of bubble.

Any Grey's scoop you can give me before you go?
Smith: I heard Seth Green is coming.

Eh, that's old news. Are you going to be in scenes with him?
Smith: Not yet. But we're doing a two-parter now, so maybe in the second part. I'm not involved with him in the first part.

Who are you involved with in the first part?
Smith: I've been working with Dr. Sloane… Izzie… and Alex. And I finally got to work with Dr. Torres.

Well, this is exciting news — mostly because I predicted it.
Smith: I know. God knows what'll happen when I hang up [this time].

Shonda Rhimes is going to call and tell you that Dr. Hahn is gay.
Smith: Oh my god. Should I call you back if that happens?

You better!
Smith: All right, I will. I totally will.

Joshua Jackson, of Dawson's Creek fame, will have an unidentified episode length story arc on Grey's Anatomy this season, beginning with episode 11, Variety reports. Jackson will play another Seattle Grace doctor, and rumors are already flying on just what else might be in store for his character...

Today, ABC finally released not only Patrick Dempsey & Sara Ramirez's promotional photos, but they also released the promotional photos for the season premiere 401 A Change is Gonna Come, along with the official synopsis. Two new promos also aired today for the new season and we here at TSGA launched our all-new network home page...so check it all out, and give us your feedback! There's only 21 days to go! Stay tuned...

Grey's Anatomy returns, as we all know, on September 27 with the premiere episode "A Change is Gonna Come." That date is less than two months away, which means some very exciting things will be appearing around the TSGA Network in the next 52 weeks. Season Four promotional photos, promos, and more should start circulating the web and TV around mid-/late-August, and maybe even magazine ads will start appearing around the same time. More episode titles, writers, airdates, and plots will be released. So stick with us! We've made it through the summer, and we're coming into the new season better and bigger than ever, so stay tuned! We've got many surprises in store for you guys...and Grey's Anatomy does too!

Here's the scoop from Korbi at E! Online, which sounds very promising.

[Korbi] ran into Chyler Leigh (aka Meredith Grey’s half sister, aka Carla on Reunion!) at TCA, and she said things may be a bit different this year: “Last season was kind of depressing, even [creator] Shonda [Rhimes] said it. She was kind of burning all the characters down, so this is kind of the redemption of all those characters. People can expect the fun Grey’s again this year.” Regarding her new series-regular status, she says she hopes to be in every episode this season. She believes that’s the plan, but you don’t really know until you get each script. She’s slowly trying to prepare herself for the instant fame the show is sure to bring. “It’s interesting, because even with just the two and a half minutes that I was on [Grey’s Anatomy] this last season, people already hate me! It’s unbelievable. I’m getting threats!” She’s thrilled to be on the Seattle Grace team, though, and is excited about her storyline: “The idea is that I’ll kind of be representing the intern world and then dipping in and out of everyone else’s storylines.”

Aww, little ol' Chyler's starting to grow on me! She seems so...Grey like. She should fit right it!