ABC hit series "Grey's Anatomy' is set to unveil its twelfth season later this year and ABC entertainment president Paul Lee recently assured fans that he expects the medical drama series to continue for the coming years.
"We have no reason to expect that Grey's Anatomy won't go on for many years to come," he said at his network's Television Critics Association executive session on Aug. 4.
Praising series creator Shonda Rhimes' efforts, Lee believes that the program is performing at its best.
"We've seen the pitch for "Grey's' for next season. The show reinvents itself again,' he stated.
Meanwhile, killing off Patrick Dempsey's character, Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd, in an unfortunate car accident in Aprl 2015 had taken the fans by shock.
Despite the decision being difficult for many viewers to handle, Lee said he was satisfied with how such circumstances became a trending topic for weeks.
"It was great, wasn't it," he asked, and later on clarified that he was referring to the fact that the issue became a talking point, not McDreamy's death, saying, "I don't mean THAT was great!"
"It was great to see Grey's Anatomy so relevant and taking the national conversation in what was its eleventh season at that point," Lee explained, pointing towards the fact that the show evidently captured the attention of its viewers.
Aside from Dempsey's departure, "Grey's Anatomy' also survived the surprising exits of original cast members Isaiah Washington, T.R. Knight, and Katherine Heigl, along with the departure of Sandra Oh in 2014 after being in the show for 10 seasons.
Jason George, who plays Dr. Ben Warren on the hit medical drama, has also been promoted to series regular for the upcoming season.
Heigl has already expressed her shock and disappointment in Dempsey's exit from the series.
The actress, who formerly played Dr. Izzie Stevens, said she was struggling to imagine Seattle Grace without Shephard.
"I just can't even imagine the show without McDreamy," Heigl told Entertainment Tonight. "I just can't! It's so hard to picture."
Meanwhile, months after Patrick Dempsey's untimely exit from "Grey's Anatomy,' Jessica Capshaw has already signed a three-year contract extension with the hit ABC series. The new deal guarantees her character Dr. Arizona Robbins' stay at the Grey Sloan Memorial until May 2018.
Many of Capshaw's colleagues, such as Sara Ramirez, are also expected to renew their contracts once their current contracts end next May.
According to Rhimes, they are entering "uncharted territory" this year with Dempsey's character out of the storyline.
"Grey's Anatomy' season 12 is set to premiere on Thursday, Sept. 24.
