Grey’s Anatomy season 23 premieres tonight, Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET on ABC, and the longest-running medical drama in American primetime is starting its new year with a plane-sized disaster, a new VIP wing at Grey Sloan Memorial and two familiar faces gone from the regular cast. Behind the drama sits one of television’s best-known pay stories, because the show’s lead, Ellen Pompeo, still holds one of the richest deals ever signed by an actress on a network drama.
Here is what happens tonight, who is in and out, and what the numbers look like for the people who keep this 21-year-old franchise running.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 23 Premiere: What Happens Tonight
The premiere episode is titled “Collide.” According to USA Today’s preview, a collision at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport floods Grey Sloan Memorial with patients, while the hospital also opens a controversial new VIP wing. That wing is a clear setup for a season about money and medicine, and it fits the arrival of a new character who is part surgeon and part businessman.
The episode closes ABC’s Thursday lineup, airing right after the season premieres of 9-1-1 at 8 p.m. and 9-1-1: Nashville at 9 p.m. New episodes stream the next day on Hulu, and the second episode, “Slippin’ and Slidin’,” is set for October 22.
| Detail | Grey’s Anatomy season 23 |
|---|---|
| Premiere date | Thursday, October 15, 2026 |
| Time and network | 10 p.m. ET / 9 Central on ABC |
| Streaming | Hulu, next day |
| Premiere episode | “Collide” |
| Planned episodes | 13 |
| Renewed | March 30, 2026 |
| Showrunner | Meg Marinis (fourth season) |
| New face | James Wolk as Seth Norton |
| Out as regulars | Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt), Kim Raver (Teddy Altman) |
Grey’s Anatomy Season 23 Cast: Who Is In and Who Is Out
The biggest change is at the top of the call sheet. ABC confirmed on March 25, 2026, that Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver would leave as series regulars after the season 22 finale. It is the first season without McKidd as a regular since season 5, and the first without Raver since season 15. TV Guide reports that the pair will not be back on screen for a while.
Coming in is James Wolk, known from Watchmen and Mad Men, as Seth Norton, a surgeon turned businessman, which ties neatly into the VIP wing storyline. Scott Speedman’s return as Nick Marsh is uncertain because he is also starring in ABC’s new series R.J. Decker.
The main cast still includes Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey and James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber, the only three actors left from the 2005 original. They are joined by Caterina Scorsone, Camilla Luddington, Jason George, Chris Carmack, Anthony Hill, Alexis Floyd, Harry Shum Jr., Adelaide Kane, Niko Terho and Trevor Jackson. Debbie Allen, Jennifer Landon and Sarah Levy recur.
What Grey’s Anatomy Season 23 Means for the Money
A smaller cast is not just a story choice. Each departing series regular takes a large per-episode salary off the budget, and a 13-episode order is far shorter than the 24-episode seasons the show ran at its peak. Fewer episodes and a leaner regular cast make the show cheaper to produce, while ABC and Hulu still get a proven brand that pulls viewers for years in reruns and streaming.
The new VIP wing storyline is also a reminder of how valuable the show still is to Disney. ABC renewed it in March, gave the showrunner a fourth year and has an untitled Grey’s Anatomy spinoff in the works, though no premiere date has been set. A spinoff would extend a franchise that has already produced Private Practice and Station 19.
Ellen Pompeo Salary and Net Worth
The person who has done best out of the show is the woman whose name is in the title. Ellen Pompeo renegotiated her deal before season 15 and was reported by The Hollywood Reporter to earn about $575,000 per episode, along with two backend points on syndication profits worth roughly $6 million to $7 million a year and producer credits on spinoffs. Celebrity Net Worth estimates her total income from the show at about $20 million a year at its peak and puts her net worth at around $80 million.
Her pay history shows how that number grew:
| Seasons | Reported pay per episode | Approximate yearly salary |
|---|---|---|
| 11 to 12 | $300,000 | About $7.5 million |
| 13 to 14 | $350,000 | About $8.7 million |
| 15 onward | $575,000 | About $14.4 million, plus backend |
Since season 19, Pompeo has scaled back her screen time, appearing in fewer episodes while keeping her executive producer title and narrating each episode. She has also spent part of that money on real estate, including a Malibu home bought in 2014 for $6.365 million and the property next door bought in 2022 for $10.3 million. She has been married to music producer Chris Ivery since 2007.
Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr. and the Original Cast
Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. have been on the show since the first episode in 2005. Looper and other outlets have reported their pay at about $125,000 per episode or more, though neither salary has been confirmed in a recent trade report. Wilson also directs episodes, which adds directing fees on top of her acting pay.
The show has always been a launchpad and a landing spot for big names. Oscar winner Geena Davis played Dr. Nicole Herman in season 11, a guest run that brought one of Hollywood’s established stars into the hospital for a full storyline.
Tonight’s premiere also lands in a busy fall for broadcast and streaming money stories, from Abbott Elementary season 6 and its cast salaries on ABC to the Hulu-backed Kardashians season 8 deal.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 23 FAQs
When does Grey’s Anatomy season 23 premiere?
Grey’s Anatomy season 23 premieres on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET on ABC, with episodes streaming on Hulu the next day.
How many episodes are in Grey’s Anatomy season 23?
The season has 13 planned episodes. The second episode airs on October 22, 2026.
Who left Grey’s Anatomy before season 23?
Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt) and Kim Raver (Teddy Altman) left as series regulars after the season 22 finale. James Wolk joins as Seth Norton.
How much does Ellen Pompeo make per episode?
Ellen Pompeo was reported to earn about $575,000 per episode starting with season 15, plus syndication backend worth several million dollars a year. Her net worth is estimated at around $80 million.
The Bottom Line
Grey’s Anatomy season 23 opens with an airport collision and a shiny new VIP wing, but the real story is a long-running hit getting leaner. Two veterans are gone, the episode order is short and a spinoff is waiting in the wings. For Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr., tonight’s premiere is another year on one of the most lucrative jobs in network TV, and for ABC, Grey’s Anatomy season 23 is proof that a 21-year-old show can still pay its way.