T.R. Knight
Actor T.R. Knight, photographed in West Hollywood, California, on June 4, 2008, is returning to Shondaland in “The Catch” years after his “Grey’s Anatomy” role ended. Reuters

T.R. Knight is heading back to Shondaland in a big way. The “Grey’s Anatomy” alum (RIP George O’Malley) has been cast in the second season of Shonda Rhimes’ crime series “The Catch.”

Rhimes confirmed the news in a statement, released Tuesday. The esteemed producer said that she was thrilled to be working with Knight again, adding that it was not easy to keep the secret. Rhimes referred to the 43-year-old actor as “one of my favorite family members” before welcoming him “home.” Knight shared in his boss’ excitement, releasing a statement of his own in which he said that it was a “joy” to work with Rhimes and others linked to the show.

“Working with Shonda, Betsy [Beers] and Allan [Heinberg] again fills me with immense joy,” he said (via Us Weekly). “I am heartened to be returning to Shondaland, and excited to work with this exceptional cast!”

As was previously reported, “The Catch” premiered on ABC in March. The hour-long show follows private investigator Alice Vaughan (Mireille Enos), who specializes in catching high-profile criminals. Alice finds herself at the center of a con when she learns that her fiancé has robbed her of millions of dollars and disappeared without a trace.

The show is the fourth Rhimes-helmed show to air on ABC’s Thank God It’s Thursday. “The Catch” did well enough to garner a second season, but as Variety reported after the premiere, it did not take as well as some of Rhimes’ other shows. The fledgling series drew just 5.8 million viewers in, which is well under what shows like “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder” pull in weekly.

It remains unclear what role Knight will play on “The Catch.” His last Shondaland part was that of Dr. George O’Malley, Seattle-Grace Hospital’s underdog resident. Knight’s character on “Grey’s Anatomy” was killed off the show in the Season 5 finale, which aired in 2009. Dr. O’Malley was stuck by a bus and did not survive the accident. It was widely reported that Knight asked to be remove from the series due to a lack of screen time. He also had an on-set feud with co-star Isaiah Washington, who famously used a homophobic slur during a confrontation with lead actor Patrick Dempsey in 2007. Washington was removed from the show in Season 3 as a result.

ABC has yet to announce when “The Catch” will return for Season 2.

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