What Netflix Can Offer Shonda Rhimes
Why would Shonda Rhimes, the star writer of ABC’s primetime lineup for the last decade and the creator behind shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, want to leave network TV? Her position atop the highly competitive pile of broadcast-television producers was unassailable, and her batting average for launching hit series to the widest possible audience remained strong. So why would she move to Netflix, a change that was announced last week? For all of the prestige the streaming service has rapidly accrued, its audience is still subscriber-based and thus much smaller than ABC’s nationwide reach.
The simple answer, according to), is burnout. Rhimes is the showrunner of both and , an impossible-seeming workload for any writer, and also helps with producing and shepherding other shows to series (such as
