 Before the series debuted on March 27, 2005, there were a few early releases to close friends and family of the producers and actors. The show was scheduled to run in the Boston Legal time slot for four weeks. However, high ratings and viewership led to it holding onto the slot for the remainder of the season. ABC Entertainment President, Steve McPherson, commented on the scheduling change: "Ultimately we decided that, without having adequate lead time or marketing dollars to devote to moving either show so late in the season, we 'd continue to let [Grey's Anatomy] build on its tremendous momentum through May." The show's title, Grey's Anatomy, was devised as a play on words: a reference to both Henry Gray's medical textbook, Gray's Anatomy, and the title character Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). Prior to broadcast, it was announced that the show's title would change from Grey's Anatomy to Complications, although ultimately this did not come to pass.
