Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, Bridgerton... these are just a handful of the series that Shonda Rhimes has brought to television and streaming services. Where would we be today without her modern vision?
Ever since Grey's Anatomy premiered in 2005, Shonda Rhimes and her production company Shondaland, managed by Rhimes and her producing partner Betsy Beers, have created some of the most popular television of the past two decades. Until recently, Rhimes was simply known as the visionary of network television. With Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, and Inventing Anna on Netflix, she can add streaming queen to her resume.
Her creations tackle themes such as addiction, love triangles, romance at the workplace, interracial relationships, loss, ambition, and mental health, and they're crafted in a way that is both relatable and swoonworthy, which is no easy feat in this day and age.
Before listing every single one of the shows crafted by Rhimes, revisiting the screenwriter, producer, and author's rise to the top is in order.
Updated on May 30, 2023: If you are a fan od Shonda Rhimes, you're in luck. This article has been updated with new content and entries by Mona Bassil.
Shonda Rhimes In a Nutshell
Born in Chicago in 1970, Rhimes attended Dartmouth for her undergraduate degree and USC for her MFA at the School of Cinematic Arts. After grad school, Rhimes interned at Denzel Washington's production company, worked as an office manager, then as a counselor at a job center, where she taught mentally ill and homeless people important job skills. While she was working these odd jobs, she made sure to dedicate some of her time to creative writing. She sold a script to New Line Cinema, which enabled her to get hired to co-write the 1999 HBO movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. That critically acclaimed film put Rhimes on the Hollywood map. She then wrote a number of screenplays, most notably the Britney Spears movie Crossroads and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.
Later, in 2003, Rhimes reflected on her days as a hospital volunteer in high school to start on a project she called Grey's Anatomy. ABC ordered the series on a pitch and set it as a mid-season replacement in 2005. By the end of its first season, the show was drawing in 20 million viewers each week.
In 2017, Rhimes signed a roughly $100 million, four-year deal with Netflix, leaving ABC/Disney (the network that launched her career) for a variety of reasons. One of the most speculated-upon triggers for her departure was the time that the network she made billions for wouldn't even grant her an all-access pass to Disneyland for one day, which sealed the deal for Rhimes' departure to the streaming giant. Let's hammer that point home — it's possible that ABC let Rhimes, the network's cash cow, go because they were too cheap to comp her a $154 ticket to Disneyland.
ABC's loss is Netflix's (and the world's) gain. Here is every single TV show from Shonda Rhimes and the Shondaland production company, ranked.
12 Still Star-Crossed
The period drama series Still Star-Crossed is based on the book by Melissa Taub and stars Grant Bowler, Wade Briggs, Torrance Coombs, Dan Hildebrand, and Lashana Lynch.
It tells the tale of Rosaline Capulet and Benvolio Montague, cousins of the late Juliet and Romeo, who are set to be married against their will in order to further their families' position and reach. Still Star-Crossed ran for one season of seven episodes in 2017. Though it wasn't all that well-written, it was nominated for an Outstanding Created Environment award, and it provided the foundation for the much better Bridgerton a few years later, with its multicultural, multiracial period piece setting filled with romance and political intrigue.
11 Off the Map
Off the Map was another TV medical drama from Rhimes, and it followed seven doctors who gave up their practices in big cities (for various reasons) to set up a rudimentary clinic in a remote village in the Amazon. Rhimes likes recasting actors she trusts on various shows, so fans of Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 will recognize Jason George, who played Dr. Ben Warren on Grey's Anatomy and did an equally excellent job as Dr. Otis Cole on Off the Map. The cast also included Martin Henderson, Valerie Cruz, and Caroline Dhavernas.
Despite its interesting premise, the show was a rare failure for Rhimes, who was perhaps juggling way too many tasks at the time; the series was made when Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice were on air, and while Scandal was being developed. As such, Off the Map only ran for 13 episodes from January to April 2011, and managed to receive a nomination for Best Primetime Television Program.
10 For the People
For the People ran on ABC for two seasons, with 20 episodes total, from March 2018 to May 2019. The courtroom drama was set in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) Federal Court and followed the attorneys who handled high-profile cases on both the prosecution's and the defense's side. It starred Hope Davis as Jill Carlan, Ben Shenkman as Roger Gunn, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Allison Adams, Susannah Flood as Kate Littlejohn, Wesam Keesh as Jay Simmons, and Bridgerton fan-favorite, Regé-Jean Page, as Leonard Knox.
For the People was a by-the-numbers legal drama, but one with surprisingly rich characters, who were explored with great depth. Unfortunately, there was no real twist to set the show apart from anything else, and it was one of the last projects Rhimes would do for network television; the final nail in the coffin after several years of diminishing returns.
9 The Catch
The Catch ran on ABC for two short seasons from March 2016 to May 2017, with 20 episodes total. It featured Mireille Enos as Alice Vaughan, Peter Krause as Benjamin Jones, Sonya Walger as Margot Bishop, Jacky Ido as FBI Special Agent Jules Dao, and Rose Rollins as Valerie Anderson.
The series revolves around private investigator Alice Vaughn, who is on the hunt for the former fiancé who defrauded her, Benjamin Jones. Along the way, she discovers that he's a con man working for a high-stakes international crime group with the FBI on his tail. What better way to secure her revenge than to team up with the FBI?
The premise and narrative of the show were unique and fun and were explored with a good dose of humor, but the casting was a little off-base. The story became bogged down with its own twists and turns, and The Catch would mark the beginning of Rhimes' fall from grace with network television, the first of three back-to-back shows which were quickly canceled and have been forgotten.
8 Inventing Anna
In June 2019, Shonda Rhimes and her production company Shondaland, working with Netflix, acquired the rights to the life story of the legendary Anna Sorokin, the woman who spent years fooling the socialites of New York City into believing she was a wealthy German heiress. Rhimes and Netflix also acquired the New York Magazine article by Jessica Pressler, called "How Anna Delvey Tricked New York's Party People," and developed it into Inventing Anna.
Rhimes wisely decided to keep this as a limited, nine-episode series, as opposed to the multi-year projects she so often takes on; any more than that, and Inventing Anna would have become truly infuriating and obnoxious, due to the fact that its titular character is such an unlikeable person. The show premiered on Netflix on February 11, 2022, quickly climbing to number one worldwide. It starred an almost-unrecognizable but compelling Julia Garner (Ozark), who managed to embody the awful character quite disturbingly. On her part, Anna Chlumsky was equally convincing as the investigative journalist who uncovered the con. It is no wonder the miniseries led to a defamation suit against Netflix by the real Rachel Williams, a former Vanity Fair photo editor, played by Katie Lowes.
7 How to Get Away with Murder
How to Get Away with Murder is one of Shondaland's most successful series. Starring Viola Davis, the legal crime thriller ran for six seasons, from September 2014 to May 2020. It revolved around Davis as Annalise Keating, a lawyer and law school professor, as well as a group of five of her students who become involved in solving a real murder.
"Think carefully. Everything after this moment will not only determine your career but life. You can spend it in a corporate office drafting contracts and hitting on chubby paralegals before finally putting a gun in your mouth, or you can join my firm and become someone you actually like. So decide: do you want the job or not?" - Keating
How to Get Away with Murder aired on Thursday nights on ABC on an all Shonda Rhimes night of entertainment, alongside Grey's Anatomy and Scandal; she had become such a household name that an entire night of primetime television was devoted to her production company. As Keating, Davis was the first Black woman to win the Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama Series. She also won two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Actress and the Image Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series.
6 Station 19
“When people see a fire engine in their rearview mirror, they slow down, move over, and get out of the way…to make room for the heroes. When they see me in their rearview mirror, at best they’re annoyed, at worst, they’re scared.” - Ryan
Station 19 is the second official spinoff of Grey's Anatomy (after Private Practice). This ongoing show takes place in the fire station (the eponymous 19) that is located just three blocks down the street from Grace Sloan Memorial Hospital in Grey's Anatomy's. It is a rather heavy drama series tackling crossover events with its sister show, made all the easier with the casting of Dr. Ben Warren (the aforementioned Jason George), Miranda Bailey's husband. Station 19 shows the relationships between the firefighters and paramedics of Seattle Fire Department's Station 19 as they navigate their personal and professional lives. It takes the structural format and emotional intensity of the medical drama and places it in the fire department.
5 Private Practice
Private Practice was the first official spinoff from Grey's Anatomy. Rhimes created and produced this lighter medical series, which ran for six seasons, from 2007 to 2013. The vibrant show follows Dr. Addison Montgomery, the ex-wife of Grey's Anatomy's Dr. Derek Shepherd, as she leaves Seattle to join a private practice, Seaside Health & Wellness Center, in Los Angeles. The story also explores the lives of the other employees, played by Tim Daly, Taye Diggs, Audra McDonald, Paul Adelstein, and an excellent Amy Brenneman. Grey's Anatomy's Caterina Scorsone also joined the cast as a recurring character (Dr. Amy Shepherd) of Private Practice in season three and became a regular in seasons four, five, and six.
The show won two BMI TV Music awards, and Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series at the NAACP Image Awards.
4 Bridgerton
Maybe it was the COVID-19 related lock-downs, but when Bridgerton dropped on Netflix on December 25, 2020, audiences were ready for this steamy take on the social circles of Regency-era London, exploring the nobility season when marriage-material debutantes were presented to society. Officially, 82 million households tuned in to watch Bridgerton in its first 28 days, and the show claimed the number one ranking in 76 countries on Netflix. Based on the series of books by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton is the first scripted series for Netflix under Rhimes' deal. Unlike the novels it is based on, the series takes place in a high society that is mixed race and features a soundtrack with a classical take on modern pop hits. Two elements that make the show more relatable and inclusive.
Bridgerton is almost as if Gossip Girl were set in early 19th-century London. Society is scandalized by a shocking newsletter of sorts from a writer known as Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews), who knows everything going on in everyone's lives around the English capital and beyond. The series revolves around the Bridgerton siblings, Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth, as they search for love. Regé-Jean Page was the series' breakout star, but he, sadly, didn't return for the next seasons.
The cast has great chemistry and includes Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury, Jonathan Bailey as Anthony, Ruby Barker as Lady Crane, Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington, Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne, Ruth Gemmell as Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton, Claudia Jessie as Eloise Luke Newton as Colin, Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte, and Simone Ashley as Kate.
3 Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a spin-off miniseries that debuted on Netflix on May 4, 2023. It stars India Amarteifio as young Queen Charlotte, Golda Rosheuvel as the mature Queen, Corey Mylchreest as young King George III, and James Fleet as the mature King. The story follows two different timelines. The first begins in 1761 and details the royal couple’s budding romance, the King’s first signs of mental illness, and the Queen’s rise to power. And the second starts with the death of the heir princess in 1817, and the Queen’s concern about the royal line.
Despite spanning only six episodes, the show is considered by fans even better than Bridgerton, focusing on storylines from the lower class, featuring the first gay couple in the franchise, delving into the intriguing Lady Danbury’s (Arsema Thomas) past, humanizing the young King, and exploring the Queen’s interactions with her many children.
The Guardian dubs Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story “a ravishing, romp-packed prequel,” and “a comic, emotive pleasure.”
2 Grey’s Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy was a mid-season replacement in the spring of 2005, and since then it's been a cultural touchstone. Dr. Meredith Grey and her revolving cast of interns, doctors, and nurses have been coming into homes worldwide and enduring more than their fair share of tragedies along the way. Very few shows in history have killed off so many beloved regular characters, and very few leads have gone through as much tragedy as Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). The actor earned $20 million per season ($550,000 per episode) for her leading role but departed following the Season 19 finale.
"I wanted to create a world in which you felt as if you were watching very real women. Most of the women I saw on TV didn't seem like people I actually knew. They felt like ideas of what women are. They never got to be nasty or competitive or hungry or angry. They were often just the loving wife or the nice friend. But who gets to be the b*tch? Who gets to be the three-dimensional woman?" - Rhimes for Oprah Magazine.
Grey's Anatomy has won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series - Drama and received countless Emmy Award nominations over the years.
1 Scandal
For seven seasons from April 2012 to April 2018, millions of viewers tuned in to ABC every Thursday night to watch Olivia Pope and her team of gladiators clean up the scandals and crimes of the Washington D.C. elite. Kerry Washington played the lead character in Scandal, which was one of the last great "watercooler TV" moments in popular culture before the era of streaming.
Week in and week out, Scandal focused on the crisis management firm Olivia Pope & Associates and its staff, as well as the employees of the White House. It explored the struggles and intrigue behind President Fitzgerald Grant III (Tony Goldwyn), Olivia's love interest, and the surrounding political scene in the capital.
Scandal was must-see TV, and Pope's collection of very chic coats was considered inspirational in the fashion world. The show was Rhimes firing all cylinders, her mind for production operating at its zenith; the unique premise combined political thrillers with legal conflict and soap opera romance, and the excellent cast and team of writers developed wonderful characters and put them in gripping situations. It remains the coolest, sexiest, and most entertaining series Rhimes and Shondaland has produced to date.