why is season 7 episode 18 of grey's anatomy a musical
Song Beneath the Song Since Grey's Anatomy began, series creator Shonda Rhimes had planned to produce a musical episode. She first vocalized the idea during filming of the pilot episode, when the program was as yet untitled.[1] Rhimes felt that seasons six and seven were the right time for the crew to "try anything and everything [they had] always wanted to do," and explained that she "finally [had] the right idea and the right talent to make [a musical episode] happen."[2] Filming began seven and a half years after Rhimes initially raised the idea.[1] The episode was shot in approximately two weeks.[3] Though cast member Dempsey jokingly referred to the episode as Glee M.D.,[4] Rhimes intended for it to differ from other musical television episodes.[2] She called it the opposite of "Once More, with Feeling," the "all-out, show-stopping," musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as she aimed to "do something that was musical without being a musical."[2]