How to Save a Life

The first inside story of one of TV's most popular and beloved dramas, Grey's Anatomy. 'I'm a Black woman casting my own show. I wanted their world to look like the world that I live in. I don't think about it in those terms [diversity], and I militantly think I don't have to.' Shonda Rhimes 'Multiple generations have discovered Derek through Netflix. They are passionate around the world. It's humbling.' Patrick Dempsey More than 15 years after its premiere, Grey's Anatomy remains one of the most beloved dramas on television in the US and the UK. It continues to win its time slot and has ranked in the Top 20 most watched shows in primetime for most of its 17-season run. It currently averages more than 9 million viewers each week. Now it's time to hear from the people who made the show happen. A cultural touchstone, it introduced the unique voice and vision of Shonda Rhimes, it made Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh and T.R. Knight household names, and injected words and phrases into the cultural lexicon like 'McDreamy,' and 'you're my person.' And the behind-the-scenes drama has always been just as juicy as what was happening in front of the camera, from the high-profile firing of Isaiah Washington to Katherine Heigl's fall from grace and Patrick Dempsey's shocking death episode. The show continued to haemorrhage key players, but the beloved hospital series never skipped a beat. Lynette Rice's How to Save A Life takes a deep dive into the show's humble start, while offering exclusive intel on the behind-the-scenes culture, the most heartbreaking departures and the more polarizing plotlines. It's the perfect gift for all Grey's Anatomy stans out there. 'It's incredible how this show just keeps resonating with the young generation. It's really touching.' Ellen Pompeo 'As much of my life as I feel like I [gave that] character, she has saved me and helped me grow into the artist that I am. . . . If [Shonda] didn't ask me to come back for the series finale, I would hurt her.' Sandra Oh

LYNETTE RICE has covered the entertainment industry for 25 years. She's currently an editor-at-large at Entertainment Weekly and was the only journalist to secure an exclusive interview with Patrick Dempsey after his 2015 departure from Grey's Anatomy. She previously wrote about the TV industry for The Hollywood Reporter. A native of Redlands, Ca., How to Save a Life is her first book. She lives in Sherman Oaks, California.