Fans of Shondaland TV shows — think Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder — know to tune into ABC on Thursday nights during TV season. But TGIT might soon become a thing of the past: Shondaland mastermind Shonda Rhimes is leaving ABC and moving to Netflix.
Netflix announced the shakeup in a press release Sunday. The new multi-year deal means that Shondaland, Rhimes and Betsy Beers' production company, will create new TV series and "other projects" for the streaming service, according to the press release.
The change won't be immediate for your favorite Shondaland shows — Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and Grey's Anatomy will still air on ABC. The upcoming Shondaland drama For The People, which is set to premiere on this fall, will be on ABC, too, Entertainment Weekly notes. There's also another Grey's Anatomy spinoff in talks, which would still be on ABC as well, according to EW. But the next wave of Shondaland shows will debut on the streaming service.
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In the press release, Rhimes noted that Netflix's chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, creates a "clear, fearless space" for producers like her.
"Shonda Rhimes is one of the greatest storytellers in the history of television," Sarandos said in a statement. "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."
According to Deadline, Rhimes is reportedly leaving ABC Studios a year before her four-year contract was over. Deadline reports that the new Netflix deal "has a length similar to the four-year ABC Studios pact and is richer."
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