Last week, ABC announced that Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff will also take over spinoff series Station 19 for its upcoming season. It turns out the move wasn’t just about utilizing the magic touch Vernoff had shown revitalizing Grey’s on the sophomore firefighter drama.

I have learned that there is a bigger, ambitious plan for integrating the two series into a shared universe following the success of the shows’ two crossovers this season.

ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke hinted at the idea during the network’s upfront presentation Tuesday in New York.

“People can expect crossover event between these series every week,” she said of Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19.

Indeed, I hear that Grey’s and Station 19 are going to play up the shared universe aspect much more next season, with storylines kept fluid and characters seamlessly going back and fourth in what would feel like two-hour episodes.

Vernoff and her team will have time to map out the intricate joint storylines as Station 19 is not on the fall schedule and will return for season 3 later in the season. Grey’s Anatomy is heading into a record-breaking 16th season this fall.

Powered by strong delayed-viewing gains, the recent second Grey’s Anatomy-Station 19crossover event drove ABC to win the Thursday 8-10 PM time slot among Adults 18-49 after three days of TV playback, with Grey’s Anatomy matching a 5-week high and Station 19 soaring to its 2nd highest-rated telecast ever.