Seven Scandalous reasons we love Shonda Rhimes

Our bags are packed, and we’ve said our goodbyes – we want to move to Shondaland!

OK, so that’s not really going to happen – it’s more a state of mind than a place! – but we’re still in awe of the force of nature that is Shonda Rhimes. Even if the name doesn’t ring a bell, her shows most certainly will, for the writer and producer is the woman behind some of the biggest TV hits of the past decade – Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How To Get Away With Murder to name a few.

If further revision is needed, then head to On Demand right now, where 13 (yes, thirteen) full seasons of Grey’s Anatomy await for your viewing pleasure, along with five seasons of Scandal. And if you want to find out more about the woman herself, then read on – we’ve attempted to whittle down some of the reasons why we’ll always have time for Rhimes!

 

HER OUTPUT IS IMMENSE

For most people, one hit show is more than enough. For Shonda, it was merely the beginning – and once the trials and tribulations of Meredith Grey and her friends had become a massive success, she was already looking for something new – whether the spin-off Private Practice or the avalanche of titles that followed in its wake. We’ll always give props to someone who puts in the hard yards, and nobody can deny Rhimes’ work rate!

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HER CHARACTERS HAVE VARIETY

In an age where diversity in TV and film is constantly under the microscope, Shonda is more than pulling her weight. Whether it’s strong female leads or colour-blind casting of an ensemble, her shows look like few others on the box right now – and are all the better for it. There’s also no effort to dumb them down, or to make things easier for the audience; just as well we love a challenge once in awhile!

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SHE RECOGNISES A TOP TUNE

There’s much more to great shows than how they look, and there aren’t many out there with better soundtracks than those under Shonda’s watch. Whether it’s hot new names like Naughty Boy, golden oldies like Aretha Franklin, or even a nod to Ireland in the shape of Snow Patrol, it seems like the perfect audio accompaniment is always close at hand – meaning the number of songs where we instantly tear up has grown exponentially over the past few years!

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SHE’S HEADED FOR STREAMING

Waiting about for another Shonda special delivery can be hard; the news that she’s joining forces with Netflix (which you can access via channel 999), then, is music to our ears! Shonda has spoken before of a ton of ideas she has, as well as some of the challenges of making shows for networks in the US; now that she can call her own shots, we might even be looking at a more exciting burst of programming than before – and that’s saying something!

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SHE OVERCAME CROSSROADS

Living, breathing proof that nobody is perfect, Shonda’s CV starts horrifically. In fact, we could barely believe that the woman responsible for some of the best entertainment of the 21st century was also behind the ill-advised big-screen adventure of Britney Spears in the lamentable Crossroads. Shonda certainly bounced back from that one though – a good example that hard work and perseverance can rescue even a seemingly desperate situation!

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