ABC has greenlit a new untitled spinoff set in rural West Texas, marking the fourth series in the long-running franchise created by Shonda Rhimes. The one-hour medical drama is expected to premiere during the 2026–27 broadcast season and will be co-created by Rhimes alongside current Grey’s Anatomy showrunner and executive producer Meg Marinis. Ellen Pompeo, who played Dr Meredith Grey for nearly two decades, is also attached as an executive producer.
The project comes from Shondaland and 20th Television, with Deadline first reporting that the series is “an edgy drama about a team at a rural West Texas medical center—the last chance for care before miles of nowhere.”
Unlike previous entries in the franchise, the new show moves away from the familiar Seattle setting and large city hospitals, focusing instead on healthcare in one of the most isolated regions in the United States.
The upcoming series will also become the first Grey’s Anatomy spinoff that does not focus on a character from the original show. While Private Practice revolved around Addison Montgomery after she left Seattle Grace Hospital and Station 19 explored Ben Warren’s world in Seattle, the Texas-based drama is expected to introduce an entirely new group of doctors and medical staff.
Marinis said, “I am incredibly excited to expand the Grey’s Anatomy universe. This opportunity will bring new characters and stories to life that will embody the same heart, emotion and connection audiences have loved from Grey’s for more than two decades — all set in my home state of Texas. I am so grateful to Shonda Rhimes for creating this dynamic world and feel so fortunate that I get to be a part of it.”
ABC renewed Grey’s Anatomy for its 23rd season in March. Since debuting in 2005, the series has remained one of the network’s biggest franchises and continues to perform strongly on streaming platforms despite several cast changes over the years.
The Texas setting has already sparked discussion among fans online, largely because the state has had little direct connection to the franchise in the past. Some viewers on X speculated that former characters could return in the new series, including Dr Stephanie Edwards, played by Jerrika Hinton, who was previously sent to a Texas burn unit after the season 13 finale. Others believe Dr Levi Schmitt, portrayed by Jake Borelli, could appear after leaving Seattle in 2024 for a pediatrics fellowship in San Antonio.
With a fresh setting and an entirely new cast, the yet-to-be-titled spinoff marks one of the franchise’s boldest creative shifts in years. As Grey’s Anatomy heads into its 23rd season, ABC is making it clear that the Grey Sloan universe is still far from slowing down.
