By Courtney Pappas ’16

It’s been on television since 2006, it’s been a favorite for moms and then their children- “Grey’s Anatomy.” This medical themed show is on its 12th season and is still as popular as ever.

This was director Shonda Rhimes’ first big television series that truly captured many people’s hearts. In 10 years and 12 seasons, countless tears and tons of laughs, “Grey’s Anatomy” is a show that seems like it will live on forever.

“My mom has been watching the series since it came out, and then I started watching it in Netflix a few years ago,” said senior Alexa Baskinger. “Now we watch it together every Thursday.”

What fans of “Grey’s” love most, they say, is how Rhimes creates stories that can affect people’s lives and mirror issues that are going on today. “Grey’s Anatomy” is one of three shows that premieres every Thursday for “TGIT.” In all three shows, including “Scandal” and “How To Get Away with Murder,” her primary message is to promote women and minorities as powerful figures which is not seen sometimes in reality.

“The entire world is skewed from the white male perspective. If you’re a woman, they have to say it’s a female-driven comedy,” said Shonda Rhimes, “If it is a comedy with Latinos in it, then it is a Latino comedy. ‘Normal’ is white male, and I find that to be shocking and ridiculous.”

Rhimes is a black woman who proves that she can have strength, and she is working to start a trend in others. The appeal of the show may come from how they affect and relate to many viewers lives.  And it clearly seems to be working. They are sharing events that happen in people’s everyday life.

“‘Grey’s Anatomy’ knows how to punch you in the emotional gut, tear your heart out and make you go through entire Kleenex boxes in one sitting. And that’s why we can’t stop watching it!” Sydney Bucksbaum from EOnline.com said.

After so many seasons, characters have come and gone but the show still thrived. Viewers have fallen in love with the relationship between Christina Yang and Meredith Grey. The two girls are the perfect example of a women’s friendship and have showed viewers how women can depend on each other and not a man.

“I love how the show proves women power. I feel like most shows always play the men as the hero but in Grey’s, us girls are the leaders,” said junior Liz Schechter.

The continuous appeal of “Grey’s” comes from the way it is has mirrored society over the last 10 years. As different events arise, they tell a similar story on the show.

Viewers have seen hospital shootings, plane crashes, terrorist threats and other infinitely relatable events. As long as the show continues to relate to the viewers, the longer it’ll still be the show that generations continue to watch.

“At this rate, there seems like there’s no end to the show,” said senior Paige Innarella. “If they came this far, I can’t imagine them stopping any time soon.”