The news that Shonda Rhimes is leaving ABC for Netflix shocked Shondaland fans on Monday. But future shows aside, what does the news mean for ABC's current lineup of TGIT shows? Scandal is entering its final season, but there's no indication that the end is nigh for Grey's Anatomy and How to Get Away with Murder.
Luckily, Entertainment Weekly spoke with sources at ABC, and it sounds like there's no reason to believe the current Shondaland properties will be cut short. The sources told EW that prospects for future seasons haven't changed since the news broke.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
EW's sources echo what ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said in an interview with the magazine earlier this year. In January, Dungey suggested that she wanted Grey's Anatomy to air for longer than ER, which lasted 15 seasons.
"That'd be lovely," Dungey told EW at the time. "I'll take even more! Honestly, I think that the show is going to continue as long as Shonda and the gang have a creative passion for telling those stories. At the moment, it feels like we're full steam ahead."
So even though Shondaland may be producing new series for Netflix, that doesn't mean shows like Grey's will necessarily end sooner. That's a relief for fans of the medical drama, as well as How to Get Away with Murder and For The People, which is slated to premiere on ABC this fall. The planned Grey's Anatomy spinoff is also set to air on ABC — so there's plenty of Grey's to come.
That doesn't mean we can't be excited about what Shondaland and Netflix have in store, though. As long as Shondaland series are being produced somewhere, we're happy.
Read These Stories Next: