Ellen Pompeo’s pregnancy will take her out of the action on “Grey’s Anatomy” for an indefinite period this season, but the show is in great shape — despite whining from back-from-the-dead Katherine Heigl about having to work too hard.

ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson called Heigl’s complaints (while promoting her latest movie) about a recent 17-hour day unfortunate. But “it’s not something you want to let consume you or your people because it is what it is. People are going to behave in the way they choose to behave.” He feels worst, he said, for the people behind the scenes “who are really busting their tail every day and feeling like they’re being looked down upon or criticized.” (By the way, insiders say the day was so long because of production schedules altered to give Heigl time to, er, promote her latest movie.)

Nevertheless, “Katherine is back. I don’t think there’s any big secret about that,” McPherson said. “And obviously, T.R. (Knight) has left. But it’s a show that’s evolving. I think these large ensemble casts, they evolve over time for a variety of reasons: some of them creative, some of them business, some of them just personality issues. But we feel like Shonda (Rhimes, “Grey’s” creator) really hit her stride again at the end of last year. And the early stuff we’ve seen this year, we’re really excited about. We made some additions to the cast last year, and I think you’re going to see some more additions this year. I don’t foresee any giant other changes that are going on.”

During a set visit to Rhimes “Private Practice,” TV critics couldn’t goad her into bashing Heigl, whom she saved last season despite Izzy’s bout with near-fatal brain cancer. The fanatically close-mouthed Rhimes leaked only one planned scoop: Chandra Wilson of “Grey’s” will cross over in the third episode of “Private Practice,” arriving to help Addison (Kate Walsh) with “a very interesting” procedure.