McDreamy Fans, Rejoice! Patrick Dempsey Is Returning to TV in a New Role

Two years after leaving Derek Shepherd and Grey’s Anatomy behind, Patrick Dempsey is returning to the small screen on premium cable channel Epix. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair will see Dempsey in the titular role, accused of murder after a teen is found dead on his property.

Harry Quebert will be a 10-part series, based on the novel by the same name by Joel Dicker. In the Maine-set thriller, author Marcus Goldman (played by Ben Schnetzer) faces writer’s block and heads to the home of his mentor, college professor Harry Quebert. While there, the body of a teen who has been missing for 33 years is found on Quebert’s property, and it’s up to Goldman to uncover the truth.

The show also stars Damon Wayans Jr. as an investigating police officer and Virginia Madsen as the town’s diner owner. Steve Stark, MGM’s president of television production and development, told Variety, “Joel Dicker’s exquisite thriller has captivated a worldwide audience with its complicated tale of love and lies. I am thrilled that this first-class ensemble cast led by Patrick Dempsey and the incomparable director Jean-Jacques Annaud, get to bring [the] provocative page-turner to life.”

When Dempsey first walked away from Grey’s, he said the show’s intense filming schedule was a factor in his decision. “It’s 10 months, 15 hours a day,” he explained. “You never know your schedule, so your kid asks you, ‘What are you doing on Monday?’ and you go, ‘I don’t know,’ because I don’t know my schedule. Doing that for 11 years is challenging. … What I would like to do is focus on not being spread so thin. Those days are over.”

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#Repost @buddy_film ・・・ • NEW SHOOT WITH PATRICK • Filming a new commercial with @patrickdempsey on location in the center of Barcelona. Directed by Axel Laubscher, styling by @nina.clare, grooming by @nataliabruschi. A #BUDDYfilm production. #PatrickDempsey #beBUDDY

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He did leave the door open for more TV, though, which has led him to his role in Harry Quebert. “I would commit to a show that is 10 to 12 episodes,” he said at the time. “But 24 again, I don’t know if I would do that. It’s a very hard life. It’s financially rewarding but there comes a point where how much is enough, really?”

Are you excited to see Patrick Dempsey back on TV? Tell us @BritandCo!

(Photo via Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)