Grey’s Anatomy franchise’s next chapter will take longer to reach television screens. ABC has delayed its upcoming West Texas-based spinoff after the project failed to secure funding through California’s film and television tax credit program.
The untitled series was originally expected to premiere during midseason 2027. It will now debut in the 2027-28 television season after production moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Created by Shonda Rhimes and current Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Meg Marinis, the project marks the franchise’s first move away from California in its 23-year history.
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Shondaland executive producer Betsy Beers discussed the production difficulties during an Assembly Committee hearing in North Hollywood on October 29, 2026. She urged lawmakers to review the tax credit selection process and increase its funding.
Beers shared that ABC initially applied for the credits during the summer. As quoted by Deadline, she said, “We were denied credit due to the fact we were not providing enough jobs for the state to consider us an asset. None of our past history or track record were taken into consideration.”
ABC and 20th Television applied again in the fall. However, the team later learned that new shows would not get another opportunity to apply. The uncertainty affected preparation, stage bookings, and hiring. Beers described the losses, saying, “We lost personnel, we lost a lot of time, and we lost money trying to find a way to stay where we have always been. Now we are filming in Albuquerque, where they have been wonderful to work with, but we want to be here.”
Keeping the two productions close was crucial since Marinis oversees the original series, which added extra challenges for the showrunner. The spinoff is now in pre-production in Albuquerque. It will follow a team at a rural West Texas medical center, described as the last chance for care before miles of nowhere. Rhimes, Beers, Marinis, and Ellen Pompeo serve as executive producers.
California’s Film and TV Tax Credit program has an annual budget of $750 million. On November 2, Governor Gavin Newsom proposed increasing the funding to at least $1 billion annually.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
