It is no secret that Shonda Rhimes is inarguably one of the most influential figures in Hollywood, particularly in television circles. The executive producer of long-running TV show, Grey’s Anatomy, as well as later productions like Private Practice, The Catch and still on-air How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal, found a permanent home on ABC network many moons ago and stayed on the network for more than a decade. And just three years ago,
It is no secret that Shonda Rhimes is inarguably one of the most influential figures in Hollywood, particularly in television circles. The executive producer of long-running TV show, Grey’s Anatomy, as well as later productions like Private Practice, The Catch and still on-air How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal, found a permanent home on ABC network many moons ago and stayed on the network for more than a decade. And just three years ago, ABC moved all of Rhimes shows on Thursday night, promoting the bloc as ‘Thank God It’s Thursday’.
As Netflix, the game-changing streaming giant, managed to poach Rhimes away from ABC in a landmark deal, the internet is abuzz about what it means for the network and the future of television in the post-Netflix era.
Having struck a deal of four years for an estimated 100 million dollars, Netflix will gain “full control of a key block of premium content” at a time when most networks prefer to own shows rather than license them. The deal was announced last week when it was confirmed that Rhimes was set to leave her 15-year home at ABC.
“Shonda Rhimes is one of the greatest storytellers in the history of television,” Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said. “Her work is gripping, inventive, pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, taboo-breaking television at its best. I’ve gotten the chance to know Shonda and she’s a true Netflixer at heart — she loves TV and films, she cares passionately about her work, and she delivers for her audience. We’re so excited to welcome her to Netflix.”
Apart from creating new content exclusive to Netflix, Rhimes will also earn a percentage of the backend on programming she creates for Netflix. The pre-existing shows will remain at ABC including Grey’s Anatomy and its in-the-pipeline spinoff, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder and the upcoming legal drama, For the People.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on what this development means, a top executive stated: “You had a streaming company that was outbidding everybody for top shows, and now there’s about to be a war for talent. This is an example that they’re not content to win a project anymore; they’re looking to own the talent and make sure these projects are exclusive to them.”
Some are calling it the end of broadcast network television while others have pointed out that the move is not about money but also about the kind of diversity that Netflix offers to the creative industry. It can be gauged from Rhimes statement on the matter in which she stated that her reason for switching to the streaming service was driven by “unique creative freedom and instantaneous global reach.”
