In 2005, a television series was released that became wildly popular. After almost 12 full seasons, “Grey’s Anatomy” keeps fans coming back for more. Why is it still one of the most watched television series in America, and how do they do it?

“Grey’s Anatomy” revolves around the life of Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo. She is a surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital (formerly Seattle Grace Hospital and Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital). Throughout the years, she has formed unbreakable relationships with countless characters.

“Grey’s Anatomy” began with nine series regulars including: Meredith Grey, Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), Christina Yang (Sandra Oh), George O’Malley (T.R Knight), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.), Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington), Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) and Ellis Grey (Kate Burton).  Out of these nine, four still star as main characters.

Viewers of “Grey’s Anatomy” have seen many characters come and go. It seems like every time a character breaks away, a new one is introduced. Many characters have been welcomed since season one. The current list of main characters includes: Meredith Grey, Miranda Bailey, Richard Webber, Alex Karev, Callie Torres (Sara Ramírez), Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), April Kepner (Sarah Drew), Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams), Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington), Stephanie Edwards (Jerrika Hinton), Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary), Ben Warren (Jason George) and Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti).

“Grey’s Anatomy” always leaves the audience hungry for more. Each episode ends on a cliff hanger, anxiously awaiting the following Thursday, when the next one airs. It leaves viewers laughing, crying or biting their nails in just 60 minutes. After almost 11 years, this medical drama continues to get positive reviews from fans and critics.

Having access to the first 11 seasons on Netflix has definitely contributed to the popularity of “Grey’s Anatomy.” Many individuals binge watch an entire series on Netflix (myself included). Over the summer, I watched the first 11 seasons of the show and was completely hooked. Binge watching leaves the viewer with so many questions, craving to know what happens next. Lucky for us, “Grey’s Anatomy” is still on television tying up loose ends and creating new ones.

“Grey’s Anatomy” is filled with unexpected events and plot twists. There are episodes with extreme disasters and hundreds of injured patients. These episodes are chaotic, leaving all the characters running frantic around the hospital. Sorrow fills the viewers as they watch patients suffer through tremendous amounts of pain. Other episodes can be more mellow and tame. It may revolve around one main character and their patient, or their relationship with another main character. These episodes can leave the audience sunny and in good spirits. For example, it may be focused on a breakthrough the surgeon has. Maybe he or she has discovered a way to cure the patient. Sometimes, a main character, who the audience has come to love, is in an accident or encounters an illness and, sadly, dies. Viewers are distraught, but it is very likely a new character will be added soon.

“Grey’s Anatomy” never fails to disappoint. It’s not surprising that it is still on television. It’s viewers have an emotional connection with the show that makes them tune in every Thursday (or catch up regularly on Netflix).