Shonda Rhimes Is Basically Running ABC

By Kara Brown  |  October 28, 2015 | 8:15pm
Latest

In case you had any doubt that Shonda Rhimes is the person keeping the lights on at ABC, her name is now attached to yet another upcoming project. This time, Scandal’s Kerry Washington and Katie Lowes will executive produce a series about a group of nannies under her production company.

The show will be a dramedy, Variety reports, and Rhimes will serve as one of the executive producers as well.

The project is described as an edgy and comical upstairs-downstairs look at the insanity of modern child-rearing, focusing on the group of nannies, a trio of interconnected families and their various support staffs, all trying to help the kids grow up when they haven’t yet quite grown up themselves.

In addition to being the nickname for the slate of shows that dominate Thursday nights at ABC, Shondaland is also the name of Rhimes’ production company. All shows under the banner are co-produced by ABC and air on the channel.

No creative has quite dominated a network the way Shonda Rhimes has since Grey’s Anatomy was introduced as a breakout hit in 2005. Since then, ABC seems to have given her all but free range to do whatever she wants, which generally results in incredibly entertaining and very profitable television.

It should be noted that while Shonda Rhimes founded Shondaland, she eventually partnered with Betsy Beers, who works closely on the company’s projects.

For those keeping track, here is a list of current, former, and potential projects under the Shondaland/ABC umbrella, where, even if Rhimes is not actually writing the series, she serves as sort of a defacto executive producers because, duh, her name is on the letterhead.

  • Grey’s Anatomy
  • Private Practice
  • Off the Map, which was cancelled
  • Gilded Lilys, a period drama set in a luxury hotel that was not picked up by ABC
  • Scandal
  • How to Get Away With Murder
  • The Catch, a drama about a forensic accountant slated to premiere as a midseason alternative for How to Get Away With Murder’s 10 pm slot on Thursdays
  • Splitsville, a comedy in development about divorced singles set in the suburbs
  • An untitled military drama set in Baghdad currently in development
  • An ensemble drama that centers around a group of Catholic nuns
  • A television adaptation of the YA novel, Still Star Crossed, which follows the aftermath of the deaths of Romeo and Juliet
  • And now, this untitled project from Kerry Washington and Kate Lowes

How long until ABC just gives Shonda Rhimes the keys to the place?

Contact the author at [email protected] .

Image via Jason Kempin/Getty.

 
Join the discussion...