Grey’s Anatomy has secured three of their leads to continue on the long-running medical drama

It’s the television gift that keeps on giving.

Grey’s Anatomy, the ABC hospital drama that’s currently gearing up for its 17th season, has secured three of its stars for at least three more seasons, Deadline reports.

Kim Raver, Kevin McKidd, and Camilla Luddington have all reportedly signed new contracts to appear in the monster hit medical series, and will each receive ‘significant salary bumps’ in doing so. 

The news comes as it’s also reported that Ellen Pompeo, the show’s titular star Meredith Grey, is currently in the middle of negotiating a new two-year deal to remain on the program.

Pompeo’s current contract will expire at the end of season 17, which is apparently still scheduled to premiere sometime this year – pandemic allowing.

ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke told the publication last month: ‘I’m hopeful that Grey’s Anatomy stays a part of our schedule. They certainly know that we’d like it to be part of our schedule for as long as they are interested in making more episodes.’

And specifically regarding Pompeo, Burke said in January, ‘Grey’s Anatomy will live as long as Ellen is interested in playing Meredith Grey.’ 

The show is already the longest-running medical drama in television history, having taken the title from ER bach in March 2019 with its 332nd episode.

Grey’s Anatomy premiered back in 2005, and has seen the comings and goings of many famous cast members including Katherine Heigl, Sandra Oh and Justin Chambers.

The news comes after it was reported earlier this month that the next season of Grey’s will tackle a highly topical issue – the coronavirus pandemic.

Krista Vernoff, the executive producer of the drama, revealed that the show’s writers are already in talks with doctors to learn more about their experiences dealing with COVID-19.

Vernoff discussed the future storylines during a Television Academy panel, Quaranstreaming: Comfort TV That Keeps Us Going, which aired on Emmys.com on July 21sr.

‘We’re going to address this pandemic for sure,’ Vernoff said, according to People. ‘There’s no way to be a long-running medical show and not do the medical story of our lifetimes.’

Krista was joined on the upcoming panel by two of Grey’s biggest stars, Chadra Wilson who plays Dr. Miranda Bailey and McKidd, who plays Dr. Owen Hunt.

McKidd’s character will likely play a pivotal role in the future coronavirus story arcs as his Dr. Hunt is a former U.S. Army trauma surgeon.

‘That’s been one of our big conversations about Owen, is that he’s actually trained for this in a way that most of the other doctors aren’t,’ Vernoff said.

The ‘really painful’ true experiences of the actual doctors on the front lines of the crisis are more like war than what the staff writers on Grey’s are used too.

‘Every year, we have doctors come and tell us their stories, and usually they’re telling their funniest or craziest stories,’ Vernoff said.

‘It has felt more like therapy,’ she continued. ‘The doctors come in and we’re the first people they’re talking to about these types of experiences they’re having.

‘They are literally shaking and trying not to cry, they’re pale, and they’re talking about it as war — a war that they were not trained for.’