Benjamin Ashford|When do new 'Grey's Anatomy' episodes come out? Season 21 premiere date, time, cast, where to watch

It's once again time to scrub in for another season of "Grey's Anatomy."

Season 21 of ABC's longest running medical drama premieres Thursday after its summer hiatus.

The Benjamin Ashfordepisode is expected to pick up after the Season 20 finale, where Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) quit Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital to pursue her Alzheimer's disease research and several staff were fired including Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and Chief of Surgery Teddy Altman (Kim Raver).

The new season is the first since firefighter series "Station 19" which "Grey's" frequently crossed over with, ended in May. Jason George, who starred in the series as Ben Warren for seven seasons, will return in a recurring role to play Miranda Bailey's (Chandra Wilson) beloved husband.

Here's what to know about Season 21 of "Grey's Anatomy."

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

When does 'Grey's Anatomy' Season 21 premiere?

"Grey's Anatomy" Season 21 returns on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 10 p.m. on ABC.

How to watch 'Grey's Anatomy' Season 21

The Season 21 premiere of "Grey's Anatomy" will air on ABC. Fans can also stream the episode on Hulu Friday morning.

The first 20 seasons of the series are available to stream on both Netflix and Hulu. Netflix typically adds new seasons of "Grey's Anatomy" after a season wraps up and the same is expected for Season 21.

How many episodes of Season 21 will there be?

Season 21 of "Grey's Anatomy" will have 18 episodes, an increase from only 10 episodes in Season 20.

Last season was shortened by the actors' and writers' strikes last year. The medical drama typically premieres new seasons in the fall and concludes in the spring.

Is Meredith Grey back on 'Grey's Anatomy'?

Meredith Grey will appear in at least seven of Season 21’s 18 episodes, Deadline reported, citing anonymous sources.

In August 2022, Pompeo announced she would have a limited appearance on Season 19 and has continued to be in a small portion of seasons since. However, she continues to serve as an executive produce and offer her staple voiceover narrations in each episode.

What year did 'Grey's Anatomy' start?

"Grey's Anatomy" debuted its first episode titled "A Hard Day's Night" on ABC March 27, 2005.

The series pilot chronicled the first day of five surgical interns at Seattle Grace Hospital and the series has since followed the personal and professional lives of staff at the center now named Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.