I know there has been a lot of speculation as to just how many episodes of Grey's Anatomy we'll get this year. First, the rumor was 30 (or more), after it was heard in an interview with Patrick Dempsey. That was quickly put to rest, however, by both ABC (I checked myself) and Ausiello at TVGuide. Both said the episode order was at 24 episodes. But now, I'm reading on TVGuide that Grey's may in fact have an expanded (well, 24 was already expanded, so even more expanded...) season of 26 episodes! This came from James Pickens, Jr. who plays Chief Webber, who says he thinks they're doing 26 episodes next season to make up for what they lost with the strike last season.
I'll try and get this confirmed. Nevertheless, it is great news!
(Now if we could just get them to bump it a little more so we could beat season two's 27 episodes...)

UPDATE [6:34 PM]: I was just told by an ABC spokeswoman that the episode order is currently only at 24.

According to Michael Ausiello over at TVGuide.com, someone major at Grey's Anatomy wants to leave the show - and soon. Current speculation is that it is Katherine Heigl, who has been quite outspoken about her dislike with the show's (and her character's) current direction, and is bursting into huge movie fame (first with Knocked Up, and now with 27 Dresses out next Friday). True, there are 13 main cast members on Grey's Anatomy, but Heigl is the most outspoken, with Patrick Dempsey coming close behind, but he's already spoken for himself, saying that even if he doesn't like the direction the show is heading, he'll stick with it until the end. In the same quote, he was also speaking for the whole cast, but obviously, this isn't true for all of them. Nevertheless, we probably don't have to worry about most of the cast members, including Patrick and Ellen Pompeo, but Katherine Heigl...well, I'm not too sure about her. I personally really hope she doesn't leave. It would be a huge blow to the show and Izzie's character is so essential. I'll keep you updated. Read on for Ausiello's scoop from his column...

Some very mean and nasty people have been saying that Sandra Oh is leaving Grey's Anatomy, whenever it comes back. Since you are the god of TV scoop, I knew you'd be able to deny this for me. Interesting. Unfortunately, I can't verify that rumor's authenticity. What I can verify is that someone — and a major someone at that — wants to be discharged from Seattle Grace, and STAT. But, as far as I can tell, that someone is not Sandra Oh.
You mentioned that Joshua Jackson's three-episode Grey's Anatomy arc was delayed indefinitely because of the writers' strike. However, there's a new Grey's airing this Thursday. Will he be in that episode? No, hence the "delayed indefinitely" thing. The good news is that I hear Shonda Rhimes has every intention of shoe-horning Pacey into Seattle Grace (and Cristina's bed) the second the strike is over.

After weeks and weeks of speculation on what exactly could be Bailey's tragedy - and the cause of her narration replacing Meredith's for an episode (Lay Your Hands on Me), it seems that some people at the ABC Message Boards have finally unearthed the truth behind the tragedy. Read with caution, cuz it ain't pretty. (FYI, you can change your vote in the poll to the right after reading this, if you do so choose.)

dappybee says...
Either Bailey's husband or son dies when a book shelf falls on him. That is why she will narrate 1 episode.
dolphcharge says...
Well, according to the sides, it is Tuck (her son) who gets crushed by the bookshelf... How do we know someone dies?
LILBAIL3Y says...
I read that Callie saves Bailey's son and she is suppose to offer Callie her job back, but I don't know how true that part is.
icankillyouwithmybrain says...
It makes sense that Callie is the one who saves him because I read that Tuck breaks like 3 ribs. Bailey might offer it back in desperation, thinking "I should have been home", or out of guilt. But I doubt Callie would take it back or that Bailey would REALLY want to give it up.

UPDATE: Here's Michael Ausiello's Vodcast, where he's got a self-proclaimed "graphic re-enactment" of Bailey's tragedy. It's the whole thing, so you'll get some scoop on your other favorite shows, such as House or Supernatural as well! Enjoy.

Ususally when you think of network executives taking control of your favorite show, what do you think? You probably think this means the show is going to suck and flounder. For Grey's Anatomy, this is not so. Arguably the fans' most favorite season, the first, was completely controlled by the network...almost every last detail. In season two, they eased up a little, giving Shonda more control, and the season turned out almost better than the first (better than the first for some fans). And then, for season three, when Grey's was the #1 drama on television (a title that I'm assuming it will lose come September), Shonda had complete control of the show...and what happened? Messy storylines, too much drama, etc... It was a great season over-all, but not up to par of the previous two. Well, now it looks as if the ABC executives are trying to set this show back on the right path, by taking control of the show again. With numerous focus group taking place, new cast members being added, and more, it appears as if the head honchos are taking the reigns of our favorite show, and in our case...this may be a good thing.

OK, I will admit it: Isaiah's story is believable. It makes sense. But he's an actor, and no one said he wasn't good at his job. Plus, this is now what? The third or fourth version of this story? And by that, I mean the third or fourth version of this story coming from Isaiah himself. Nevertheless, here's a recap of last night's interview on Larry King Live from TVGuide.com. Stay tuned for video. source

Appearing on Monday's Larry King Live, Isaiah Washington served up what many of us have been clamoring for: a blow-by-blow account of exactly what transpired on the Grey's Anatomy set last October 9. In Washington's version, T.R. Knight was nowhere near the line of fire; rather, the conflict was focused on a different cast member. "Although I love Patrick Dempsey, I have to clear the air and tell what happened," Washington said to Larry King, launching into his version of events:

Prior to October 9, while filming the "Where the Boys Are"/fishing episode, Washington was concerned that by Dempsey extending a shoot day, it appeared that the show's two "titans" were taking advantage of crew members. Washington, though, didn’t vent his frustration at the time — "[and] I was kicking myself for it."

Come October 9, Dempsey was again late to the set. "I'm mad," Washington recalls. "[But] I didn’t say anything [the previous time], so what am I going to say now?" After denying that he was even late, Dempsey said he needed to wait for Ellen Pompeo, who was to feed the actors lines from off camera. "[Patrick] said, 'I need Ellen.' I said, 'Well, I don’t need Ellen. I can act.'" That perceived slight ratcheted the tension to a new and different level. "He became unhinged," Washington says of Dempsey. "[We were] face to face, spittle to spittle. I was like, 'Why am I being berated to this point in front of our crew?' I pushed him out of my face and it took off from there."

Enter the F-word. "I said several bad words," Isaiah admits. "I said, 'There's no way you're going to treat me like a 'b-word,' a 'p-word' or 'the f-word.' You can't treat me that way in front of our crew."

Washington maintained the f-word was "never, never, never" aimed at T.R. Knight, and said that his definition of the word at the time was "someone who is weak, not deserving of respect." Tabloid reports that the fracas was centered on Knight and his sexuality "couldn’t be further from the truth," says Washington.

Why, then, did Knight come out of the closet, and subsequently offer a different version of events on Ellen? "That's the $5 million question," Washington told King. "He misrepresented himself." (Knight and Dempsey, who are allegedly under a gag order from ABC, had no comment for Larry King Live.)

Toward the end of the Q&A, Washington seemed to get emotional when asked which cast mates have lent their support, saying that he had received "a wonderful email from Sandra Oh," for example. But he doesn't expect more public support from his peers, "because of where they are. Disney is paying their bills, and you don’t mess with the Mouse. Everyone did what they had to do."

And of the person who actually leaked what may have been an inaccurate account of the October 9 to-do to the tabloids, Washington said this: "I really hope that person got paid, man. That was the stroke of death for me."

OK, guys, this is getting to be ridiculous. Thanks to TVGuide.com for this story:

Isaiah Washington's latest interview — this time given to Newsweek — has the disgraced former Grey's Anatomy star saying that racism (also?) factored into his firing. "It didn't help me on the set that I was a black man who wasn't a mush-mouth Negro walking around with his head in his hands all the time," the actor tells the mag. "Someone heard the booming voice of a black man and got really scared, and that was the beginning of the end for me."

Washington even claims that a person in ABC human resources once told him "that 'some people' were afraid of me. I asked her why, because I'm a 6-foot-1 black man... who doesn't go around saying, 'Yessah, massa sir' and 'No sir, massa' to everyone?"

ABC declined comment on this latest beat in the sordid story.

This upcoming Monday, July 2, Isaiah Washington will have his first post-firing interview on CNN's Larry King Live, where he will talk about how he is upset about being fired and how
TR Knight is the one causing all of the problems on set. Larry will probably also ask him about the new film he is working on (which is apparently why it took him this long to do an interview) and how NBC is now courting him for a new series on their network (good luck to them with that).
I find it interesting that now that Washington has been fired, he is passing all of the blame onto someone else and still causing issues even though he is no longer on the set. There's also the fact that everything he's saying contradicts what everyone else still on the show is saying. Poor TR; poor cast. Hopefully they can make it through this - I'm sure they can.

Check out the scoop sent to us from EW.com (Entertainment Weekly):

Though the Grey's Anatomy finale left fans with lots of questions, at least one mystery appears to have been solved: T.R. Knight, a.k.a. the lovable George O'Malley, is expected to return as a series regular. Speculation has been swirling about his possible departure from Seattle Grace — not only because of what happened in the May 17 finale (George didn't pass the intern exam!) but because of the incident earlier this season with co-star Isaiah Washington (who addressed him with a homophobic slur). According to one insider close to the negotiation, Knight has agreed to a new contract that will boost his per-episode salary to roughly $125,000 and give him a small piece of the show profits (pay hikes and profit points were also granted to many of Knight's co-stars, including Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, and Sandra Oh).

Still up in the air: the fate of Washington, whose character, the arrogant Preston Burke, appeared to flee Seattle in the finale. That said, the same insider hints that Washington will be back as a series regular (though without the boost in pay rewarded to his co-stars). ''A cliffhanger is meant to keep the audience in anticipation and intrigue until fall,'' demurred a spokesman for ABC Television Studios, which produces Grey's for ABC. Washington's publicist also declined comment.

Yay! George is back!