‘Station 19’ Creator Stacy McKee Breaks Down the Spinoff and Its Fiery Female Lead

STATION 19 - JAINA LEE ORTIZ
Mitch Haaseth/ABC
Jaina Lee Ortiz as Andy Herrera.

Much like fellow first-responder series Chicago Fire and 9-1-1, this Grey’s Anatomy spinoff focuses on a self-made family of heroes.

“The action grabs you, but it’s also coupled with the heart and humor of these characters,” creator Stacy McKee explains. “I was interested in doing a show about a firehouse because Seattle has one of the highest percentages of women in their fire department in the country.”

At the top of Station 19’s roster: Andy Herrera (Rosewood’s Jaina Lee Ortiz), who was introduced on the March 1 episode of Grey’s. “Andy grew up the daughter of the longtime station captain. She’s very strong, dynamic and driven,” McKee says.

Another familiar face is Ben Warren (Jason George), formerly a surgical resident at Grey Sloan Memorial and now a probational firefighter. “Ben isn’t afraid to reinvent himself,” McKee notes.

Jason George in Station 19.

The two-hour premiere features secret romances, plenty of hard-core fire sequences—one leads to a serious injury for a member of the team—and Andy’s struggle to define her role at the house. But since she “is not afraid of getting what she wants,” McKee says, we expect a rise in the ranks could be in her future. Sounds hot!

Station 19, Premieres Thursday, March 22, 9/8c, ABC