Mamie Gummer, Ellen Pompeo

From the moment Emily Owens, M.D. begins, one thought will surely cross your mind: This feels very familiar.

That's because The CW's new medical dramedy is pretty similar to ABC's stalwart Grey's Anatomy from the titular protagonists' names to the voiceovers and even the characters, the tone of Shonda Rhimes' medical drama is present.

Emily Owens stars Mamie Gummer (The Good Wife, Off the Map) as a first-year intern who, while working alongside her best friend/crush (Justin Hartley) and her childhood nemesis (Aja Naomi King), must learn the hard way that hospitals are a lot like high school.

VIDEO: Watch the premiere of The CW's Emily Owens, M.D. online now!

"I think that every medical show now is going to be compared to Grey's," Gummer tells TVGuide.com. "I did a show called Off the Map and it was set in a jungle and everyone was comparing it to Grey's. It's sort of inevitable. Grey's has gotten a little gray. It has more somber notes generally than we do, but Grey's is a great show and it's been running forever, so obviously they're doing something right."

What they're doing right is exactly what Emily creator Jennie Snyder Urman probably hopes to capitalize on considering archetypes from the Shondaland flasgship series can be found in the CW show. Let's take a look at the characters to see how similar they really are:

Emily Owens (Mamie Gummer) is Meredith Grey: Both docs came to their respective hospitals wide-eyed and hoping to make a difference, but where Mer went dark and twisty, Emily is still hoping to hang on to her bright and shiny side, which offers a lot of awkward comedy as she navigates the waters of residency. "She's generally awkward," Gummer says. "She's lacking in social graces, but she's very well-intentioned. She's smarter and has more depth than she's given credit for or that she's aware of. She's a kind of geeky character." And although both characters use voiceover narration, expect more from Emily than what you're used to from Grey's.

Will Rider (Justin Hartley) is Derek Shepherd: Like Derek was to Meredith, this is ultimately the heartthrob that you and Emily will be rooting for her to end up with. No random one-night stands here, though, as the duo went to medical school together and she's been harboring a longtime crush on her pal. "You learn that they have a real friendship founded on a lot of shared experience and true affection," Gummer says. "It's not just a girlish crush that she has." And just like Grey's dragged out the will-they-won't-they tension for MerDer, so too will Emily as Gummer says they're still working through that in episodes they're currently filming.

Vote for your favorite new TV shows in our Fall Popularity Contest!

Follow this link:
Why Emily Owens, M.D. Is Grey's Anatomy 2.0