Lifetime Achievement for 'Grey's Anatomy'

Zap2It.com | July 24, 2006

Ellen Pompeo, T.R. Knight, Katherine Heigl

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Emmy-nominated drama heads to cable next year

ABC is separating "Grey's Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives" on its schedule this fall, but Lifetime will bring the two shows back together starting next year.

The cable network has picked up rerun rights to the Emmy-nominated "Grey's" and will begin airing episodes once a week starting in January. The show will start running as a daily strip in fall 2009.

"This is an extraordinary show that tells powerful stories of love, hope and sometimes despair, as seen through the lives of an amazingly gifted ensemble cast," Lifetime's Leslie Glenn-Chesloff says. "Women all over the country -- including all of us here at Lifetime -- absolutely adore this wonderful series, and we're thrilled that it's joining our schedule."

Lifetime previously picked up rerun rights to "Desperate Housewives," which last season paired with "Grey's" to form a powerhouse ratings bloc for ABC. The cable channel will begin airing weekly "Housewives" reruns on Sunday, Aug. 5 at 11 p.m. ET.

"Grey's Anatomy" drew just under 20 million viewers a week last season, and it was among the top scripted shows on TV in the adults 18-49 demographic that advertisers all love. A post-Super Bowl episode of the show drew 38 million people, and for much of the rest of the season it topped "Housewives" in the ratings.

Earlier this month it was nominated for 11 Emmys, including outstanding drama series. It also won the Television Critics Association Award for program of the year.