Grey's Anatomy was given this year's Future Classic Award for 2005 at last night's TV Land Awards in Santa Monica, Calif. Creator and Executive Producer Shonda Rhimes, along with the show's cast, accepted the honor on behalf of the show. The award, unveiled by TV Land in 1998 and presented annually, recognizes the new show from the past calendar year which best exemplifies the qualities of an emerging phenomenon that will endure for years.

Upon receiving the award, Rhimes (pictured below) was ecstatic.

"We are honored that TV Land has chosen Grey's Anatomy as their Future Classic Award recipient," she said. "TV Land has quickly established itself as a great home for the most loved series to air on television. As we continue to build upon a great start to Grey's Anatomy, we are thrilled to be honored by this institution and look forward to one day joining their elite lineup of fantastic television shows."

Larry W. Jones, President of TV Land and Nick at Nite, had this to say:

"Grey's Anatomy embodies the qualities of a true television classic. The show's complex and emotional storyline, as well as its amazing cast has made it one of the most important television shows to come along in years. TV Land would like to thank ABC, Shonda Rhimes and the entire cast and crew for making every episode a weekly event we look forward to with anticipation."

Hopefully this is not a jinx. Historically, the actual enduring success of past Future Classic Award winners is mixed. Past winners:

• 1998: Sports Night
• 1999: The Sopranos
• 2000: Scrubs
• 2001: Malcolm in the Middle
• 2002: American Dreams
• 2003: Arrested Development
• 2004: Desperate Housewives

An interesting group. One that Grey's Anatomy can most certainly hang with. While it's too early to say for sure, we're confident that Shonda and her co-producers will be bringing us great drama and comedy for years to come.

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.