"We had to come up with creative ways to allow our show to still be fun and romantic and provide some escapism."

Fans were left in shock after the premiere of the first episode from season 17 of Grey's Anatomy this week - and spoiler alert if you have yet to watch the episode. If you haven't already heard, Grey's have brought back Patrick Dempsey. McDreamy is back in the building, lads! Well, sort of. This year saw the 16th season of the show cut short because of Covid regulations and filming issues. But the series has certainly come back with a bang - a big McDreamy bang - for season 17. Since he had previously died in the show, the only way for Dempsey's character to return was to either be a ghost or a vision of some sort. And he was, as he returned in a dream-like sequence with Meredith at the end of the extended episode. Showrunner Krista Vernoff said: “The most important task we had this season was to honour the reality of this global pandemic and the impact it’s having — particularly on healthcare workers." As well as covering the pandemic, producers also needed the show to have some sort of escapism for its viewers. "Along with that we had to come up with creative ways to allow our show to still be fun and romantic and provide some escapism. Enter Patrick Dempsey," she said. “Season 17 has been a Herculean effort by our cast, our crew, our writers and our partners at Disney and ABC — and we are proud of it.” Venroff went on to praise the real-life heroes, the doctors and nurses, who have worked so tirelessly to protect patients this year. “Our effort is nothing compared to the work of our frontline healthcare workers to whom this season is dedicated," she said. "We hope our show inspires you to wear your masks to protect them and each other. As Derek Shepherd would say, ‘It’s a beautiful day to save lives.’”