State of Shondaland: ‘Station 19’ Starts, ‘Scandal’ Ends and Everything Netflix Snagged

TGIT fans, you’re getting a new day of the week to be thankful for… but what else is going on with your favorite ABC offerings?

Grey's Anatomy Spinoff Station 19
ABC/Mitch Haaseth

With another series debuting tonight on ABC and a new home at Netflix, Shondaland isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Here’s everything you need to know about TV queen Shonda Rhimes’ many projects.

“Station 19”

The long-anticipated spinoff to “Grey’s” drops March 22 at 9 p.m., joining the “TGIT” slate right after its parent show. Jason George will be the connecting thread as his character Dr. Ben Warren decides to make a late career move from surgeon to fire fighter. Rhimes is also an executive producer on “Station 19,” which was created by “Grey’s Anatomy” alum Stacy McKee. 

“For the People”

Your new Tuesday night wine-and-popcorn watcher is here. This legal drama follows young prosecutors and defenders in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, a.k.a. the “Mother Court.” Rhimes is an executive producer on the low-rated show, which was created by Paul William Davies. 

“Grey’s Anatomy”

ABC recently announced that Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew will be exiting after Season 14. The beloved medical drama hasn’t officially been picked up for another season, but star Ellen Pompeo recently signed a deal with ABC that would guarantee her through a potential Season 16. “The show will go on as long as Ellen wants to do it,” creator Rhimes said. There was some speculation that Pompeo’s deal had to do with Capshaw and Drew’s exit, but showrunner Krista Vernoff squashed that idea last week. 

 

“Private Practice”

“Station 19” isn’t the first “Grey’s” spinoff. “Private Practice” followed Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey)’s ex-wife Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) to California, where she worked as a surgeon at a private practice called Seaside Wellness Center. The show, created by Rhimes, launched in 2007 and ended after six seasons. Throughout those six seasons, it crossed over with “Grey’s” several times, and actress Caterina Scorsone, who plays Derek’s sister Amelia, joined the cast of “Grey’s” after “Private Practice” ended.

“Scandal”

The “Scandal” series finale is April 19 at 10 p.m. Rhimes created the show back in 2012 loosely based on President George H. W. Bush’s administration press aide Judy Smith, who is a co-executive producer on the show. “Scandal” has been nominated for Golden Globes, Emmys, and BET Awards, and guest star Joe Morton won an Emmy in 2014 for his role as Rowan Pope. 

“How to Get Away With Murder”

The Season 4 finale is Thursday March 15 at 10 p.m. No word yet on whether or not it will be renewed for a fifth season. Star Viola Davis has been nominated three times and won one Emmy for her performance as Professor of Law Annalise Keating, and has been nominated for two Golden Globes. 

“Off the Map”

Not every Shondaland offering has been as wildly successful as “Grey’s,” “Scandal,” and “HTGAWM.” Another medical drama — this one set in South America — called “Off the Map” was canceled after only one season. But you might recognize a few actors elsewhere in the Shondaverse: Jason George went on to play Dr. Ben Warren in “Grey’s” and “Station 19,” and Martin Henderson went on to play Dr. Nathan Riggs on “Grey’s.”

“The Catch”

“The Catch” aired for two seasons on ABC and was created by Jennifer Schuur, Kate Atkinson, and Helen Gregory. Rhimes and her producing partner Betsy Beers executive produced on the show, which followed a private investigator living in Los Angeles who becomes a victim of fraud thanks to her fiancé. Its last episode aired last May.

“Still Star-Crossed”

Shondaland produced “Still Star-Crossed,” which only aired for one season from 2016-2017, with ABC studios. The show was created by Heather Mitchell, and based on Melinda Taub’s novel of the same name. The period drama followed the families of Romeo and Juliet after their deaths. It ended after seven episodes.

Shonda’s Netflix deal

Last summer, Netflix acquired all future Shondaland offerings in a four-year deal estimated to be worth as much as $100 million. Rhimes will still be involved in Shondaland projects at ABC, but everything moving forward will be with Netflix.

Rhimes said there’s a “misconception” about how she’ll juggle both jobs when asked if her deal with Netflix will impact any of her Shondaland offerings on ABC at TCA in January. 

“It’s not as if we’re going to pack our bags and take some boxes and march someplace else and put stuff down,” she said during a panel for the then-unnamed “Station 19.”

“We’re here. We have five shows at ABC. We’re developing another. We’re very happy where we are. And all of our new shows are going to be at Netflix,” she added. “So it’s not as if we’re going anywhere. This is a place where it’s like saying I have five kids and then I’m going to just leave them and go home someplace else. So it’s not as if there’s a separation date or something.”

We can’t wait to see what that chefs in the Shondaland kitchen will cook up next.

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