Unless you have been living under a rock for the past decade, you would know that Thursday nights on ABC belongs to the Queen of primetime television, Shonda Rhimes. Rhimes has created a trifecta of compelling dramas that have essentially conquered Thursday nights from ever belonging to another primetime network.
When Rhime’s television reign began in 2005, no one had any idea how great her talent would grow. “Grey’s Anatomy” was the first of her marvelous brain children, born in 2005 and still stronger than ever in its 12th season on television. Age has nothing on the relevance and excitement viewers feel toward the show and its characters; in the last ten years, it has ranked in the top 40 television shows each and every season. What started off as a romantic drama about surgical interns, doctors in residency, and top notch surgeons became a phenomenon, sweeping ratings and viewer’s hearts all at once, and it does not seem to be slowing down.
Coming off of the high of multiple Emmy nominations and other award winnings, Rhimes developed her second in her series of fabulous Thursday dramas titled simply “Scandal.” “Scandal” is a political showstopper that has taken critics and viewers by storm since it first arrived on the scene in 2012, even winning “Television Program of the Year” in 2013 at the American Film Institute Awards. “Scandal” creates a political world that the average person had no idea existed but now craves to know more about.
The last in this series of masterpieces (and my personal favorite) belongs to newcomer “How To Get Away With Murder.” It depicts a prominent law professor and five of her students solving cases, all while trying to cover up their own involvement in a murder plot. Since its 2014 debut, viewers have been hooked by the twists and turns guaranteed in each episode. This is clearly seen by the over 30 million viewers alone who stopped everything on a Thursday night to watch the premiere.
Not only are Rhimes’ shows terrifically casted and marvelously written, but they are all inherently different. Each is set in a different environment and location, creating a singularly unique experience for each show. Not one of the three can truly be compared to the others, because they are so fascinatingly diverse in their own way. Rhimes created these beautiful cinematic moments by taking the roads less traveled when it came to television conception and production.
When casting for “Grey’s Anatomy” in particular, Rhimes’ use of casting to ensure that the cast would be diverse and unique in all ways is a method not normally used in television. Similarly, when casting for “Scandal” and “How To Get Away With Murder,” Rhimes took actors from all different experience levels in television and film to create dynamic characters and relationships.
Rhimes is not afraid to give a voice to strong Black characters and strong female characters, showing that primetime hit shows do not have to be run primarily by strong white male leads. Viola Davis in particular recently won the Emmy Award for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series” in “How To Get Away With Murder,” becoming the first Black woman to ever receive this critical acclaim.
Rhimes and her shows break down barriers and create experiences and characters that are both relatable and approachable, even when story lines are dramatic and exciting. Shonda Rhimes shows no signs of slowing down either, and is truly becoming an icon in her field.
If you haven’t yet taken a trip to Shondaland, then you are honestly missing out.
