There are few network producers with name brand recognition — think J.J. Abrams, Chuck Lorre or Dick Wolf — but Shondra Rhimes is certainly one of them. The writer and producer is the creative hitmaker behind “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal” and “How to Get Away with Murder” and a cornerstone to the success of ABC. Well, Netflix has just rocked the industry again.
The streaming service has announced they’ve signed Shonda Rhimes and her Shondaland production company to a multi-year deal to produce a new series and other projects. Rhimes’ longtime producing partner, Betsy Beers, will be joining her.
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There is no way to understate how big this deal is. When producers and writers have a lucrative partnership with a network, where they pretty much have carte blanche, it’s rare they’ll make a move somewhere else. Rhimes has certainly been able to flex her muscle at ABC, but Netflix must’ve really liked the data they were seeing on her shows.
“How to Get Away with Murder” streams around the globe on Netflix (except in the U.S.), while “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal” are also on Netflix in many international territories as well. On a pure numbers level, Rhimes’ shows must’ve really been charting, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that Ted Sarandos can now claim yet another huge talent for the Netflix roster.
However, this is also a great deal for Rhimes too. As much as she likely had the keys to the kingdom at ABC, working at Netflix now lifts all the restrictions of working on network TV. She’ll be unbound by running times, commercial breaks, and the types of content she can have in her shows, and it’ll be fascinating to see what Rhimes does with that newfound freedom.