Grey’s Anatomy,Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, Bridgerton…these are just a handful of the series thatShonda Rhimeshas brought to television and streaming services. Where would we be today without her modern vision?
Ever sinceGrey’s Anatomypremiered in 2005, Shonda Rhimes and her production companyShondaland,managed by Rhimes and her producing partner Betsy Beers, have created some of themost popular televisionof the past two decades. Until recently, Rhimes was simply known as the visionary of network television. WithBridgerton,Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, andInventing Annaon Netflix,she can add streaming queen to her resume.
Her creations tackle themes such as addiction,love triangles, romance at the workplace, interracial relationships, loss, ambition, and mental health, and they’re crafted in a way that is both relatable and swoonworthy, which is no easy feat in this day and age.
Before listing every single one of the shows crafted by Rhimes, revisiting the screenwriter, producer, and author’s rise to the top is in order.
Updated on July 23, 2025: If you are a fan od Shonda Rhimes, you’re in luck. This article has been updated with new content and entries byMona Bassil.
Shonda Rhimes In a Nutshell
Born in Chicago in 1970, Rhimes attended Dartmouth for her undergraduate degree and USC for her MFA at the School of Cinematic Arts. After grad school, Rhimes interned at Denzel Washington’s production company, worked as an office manager, then as a counselor at a job center, where she taught mentally ill and homeless people important job skills. While she was working these odd jobs, she made sure to dedicate some of her time to creative writing.She sold a scriptto New Line Cinema, which enabled her to get hired to co-write the 1999 HBO movieIntroducing Dorothy Dandridge.That critically acclaimed film put Rhimes on the Hollywood map. She then wrote a number of screenplays, most notably the Britney Spears movieCrossroadsandThe Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.
Later, in 2003, Rhimesreflected on her days as a hospital volunteer in high school to start on a project she calledGrey’s Anatomy.ABC ordered the series on a pitch and set it as a mid-season replacement in 2005. By the end of its first season, the show was drawing in 20 million viewers each week.
Related:Bridgerton Season 2: How the Women Reclaim Agency in a Patriarchal World
In 2017, Rhimes signed a roughly $100 million, four-year deal with Netflix, leaving ABC/Disney(the network that launched her career) for a variety of reasons. One of the most speculated-upon triggers for her departure was the time that the network she made billions for wouldn’t even grant heran all-access passto Disneyland for one day,which sealed the deal for Rhimes' departure to the streaming giant. Let’s hammer that point home—it’s possible that ABC let Rhimes, the network’s cash cow, go because they were too cheap to comp her a $154 ticket to Disneyland.
ABC’s loss is Netflix’s (and the world’s) gain. Here is every single TV show from Shonda Rhimes and the Shondaland production company, ranked.
12Still Star-Crossed
The period drama seriesStill Star-Crossedis based on the book by Melissa Taub and stars Grant Bowler, Wade Briggs, Torrance Coombs, Dan Hildebrand, and Lashana Lynch.
It tells the tale of Rosaline Capulet and Benvolio Montague, cousins of the late Juliet and Romeo, who are set to be married against their will to further their families' position and reach.Still Star-Crossedran for one season of seven episodes in 2017. Though it wasn’t all that well-written, it was nominated for an Outstanding Created Environment award, and it provided the foundation for the much betterBridgertona few years later, with its multicultural, multiracial period piece setting filled with romance and political intrigue.
11Off the Map
Off the Mapwas anotherTV medical dramafrom Rhimes, and it followed seven doctors who gave up their practices in big cities (for various reasons) to set up a rudimentary clinic in a remote village in the Amazon. Rhimes likes recasting actors she trusts on various shows, so fans ofGrey’s AnatomyandStation 19will recognize Jason George, who played Dr. Ben Warren onGrey’s Anatomyand did an equally excellent job as Dr. Otis Cole onOff the Map. The cast also included Martin Henderson, Valerie Cruz, and Caroline Dhavernas.
Despite its interesting premise, the showwas a rare failure for Rhimes, who was perhaps juggling way too many tasks at the time; the series was made whenGrey’s AnatomyandPrivate Practicewere on air, and whileScandalwas being developed. As such,Off the Maponly ran for 13 episodes from January to April 2011, and managed to receive a nomination for Best Primetime Television Program.
10For the People
For the Peopleran on ABC for two seasons, with 20 episodes total, from March 2018 to May 2019. The courtroom drama was set in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) Federal Court andfollowed the attorneyswho handled high-profile cases on both the prosecution’s and the defense’s side. It starred Hope Davis as Jill Carlan, Ben Shenkman as Roger Gunn, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Allison Adams, Susannah Flood as Kate Littlejohn, Wesam Keesh as Jay Simmons, andBridgertonfan-favorite, Regé-Jean Page, as Leonard Knox.
For the Peoplewas a by-the-numbers legal drama, but one with surprisingly rich characters, who were explored with great depth. Unfortunately, there was no real twist to set the show apart from anything else, and itwas one of the last projects Rhimes would do for network television; the final nail in the coffin after several years of diminishing returns.
9The Catch
The Catchran on ABC for two short seasons from March 2016 to May 2017, with 20 episodes total. It featured Mireille Enos as Alice Vaughan, Peter Krause as Benjamin Jones, Sonya Walger as Margot Bishop, Jacky Ido as FBI Special Agent Jules Dao, and Rose Rollins as Valerie Anderson.
The series revolves around private investigator Alice Vaughn, who is on the hunt for the former fiancé who defrauded her, Benjamin Jones. Along the way, she discovers that he’s a con man working for a high-stakes international crime group with the FBI on his tail. What better way to secure her revenge than to team up with the FBI?
The premise and narrative of the show were unique and fun and were explored with a good dose of humor, but the casting was a little off-base. The story became bogged down with its own twists and turns, andThe Catchwould mark the beginning of Rhimes' fall from grace with network television, the first of three back-to-back shows which were quickly canceled and have been forgotten.
8Inventing Anna
In June 2019, Shonda Rhimes and her production company Shondaland, working with Netflix, acquired the rights to the life story of the legendary Anna Sorokin, the woman who spent years fooling the socialites of New York City into believing she was a wealthy German heiress. Rhimes and Netflix also acquired theNew York Magazinearticle by Jessica Pressler, called “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People,” and developed it intoInventing Anna.
Related:6 Shows Like Inventing Anna You Need to Watch Next
Rhimes wisely decided to keep this as a limited, nine-episode series, as opposed to the multi-year projects she so often takes on; any more than that, andInventing Annawould have become truly infuriating and obnoxious, due to the fact that its titular character is such an unlikeable person. The showpremiered on Netflix on August 08, 2025, quickly climbing to number one worldwide. It starred an almost-unrecognizable butcompelling Julia Garner(Ozark), who managed to embody the awful character quite disturbingly. On her part, Anna Chlumsky was equally convincing as the investigative journalist who uncovered the con. It is no wonder the miniseries led to a defamation suit against Netflix by the real Rachel Williams, a formerVanity Fairphoto editor, played by Katie Lowes.
7How to Get Away with Murder
How to Get Away with Murderis one of Shondaland’s most successful series.Starring Viola Davis, the legal crime thriller ran for six seasons, from September 2014 to May 2020. It revolved around Davis as Annalise Keating, a lawyer and law school professor, as well as a group of five of her students who become involved in solving a real murder.
“Think carefully. Everything after this moment will not only determine your career but life. You can spend it in a corporate office drafting contracts and hitting on chubby paralegals before finally putting a gun in your mouth, or you can join my firm and become someone you actually like. So decide: do you want the job or not?” - Keating
How to Get Away with Murderaired on Thursday nights on ABC on an all Shonda Rhimes night of entertainment, alongsideGrey’s AnatomyandScandal; she had become such a household name that an entire night of primetime television was devoted to her production company. As Keating, Davis was the first Black woman to win the Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama Series. She also won two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Actress and the Image Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series.
6Station 19
“When people see a fire engine in their rearview mirror, they slow down, move over, and get out of the way…to make room for the heroes. When they see me in their rearview mirror, at best they’re annoyed, at worst, they’re scared.” - Ryan
Station 19is the second official spinoff ofGrey’s Anatomy(afterPrivate Practice).This ongoing show takes place in the fire station (the eponymous 19) that is located just three blocks down the street from Grace Sloan Memorial Hospital inGrey’s Anatomy’s.It is a rather heavy drama seriestackling crossover events with its sister show,made all the easier with the casting of Dr. Ben Warren (the aforementioned Jason George), Miranda Bailey’s husband.Station 19shows the relationships between the firefighters and paramedics of Seattle Fire Department’s Station 19 as they navigate their personal and professional lives. It takes the structural format and emotional intensity of the medical drama and places it in the fire department.
5Private Practice
Private Practicewas the first official spinoff fromGrey’s Anatomy. Rhimes created and produced this lighter medical series, which ran for six seasons, from 2007 to 2013. The vibrant show follows Dr. Addison Montgomery, the ex-wife ofGrey’s Anatomy’sDr. Derek Shepherd, as she leaves Seattle to join a private practice, Seaside Health & Wellness Center, in Los Angeles. The story also explores the lives of the other employees, played by Tim Daly, Taye Diggs, Audra McDonald, Paul Adelstein, and an excellent Amy Brenneman.Grey’s Anatomy’s Caterina Scorsone also joined the cast as a recurring character (Dr. Amy Shepherd) ofPrivate Practicein season three and became a regular in seasons four, five, and six.
The show won two BMI TV Music awards, and Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series at the NAACP Image Awards.
4Bridgerton
Maybe it was the COVID-19 related lock-downs, but whenBridgertondropped on Netflix on July 16, 2025, audiences were ready for this steamy take on the social circles of Regency-era London, exploring the nobility season when marriage-material debutantes were presented to society. Officially,82 million households tuned into watchBridgertonin its first 28 days, and the showclaimed the number one ranking in 76 countries on Netflix. Based on the series of books by Julia Quinn,Bridgertonis the first scripted series for Netflix under Rhimes' deal. Unlike the novels itis based on, the series takes place in a high society that is mixed race and features a soundtrack with a classical take on modern pop hits. Two elements that make the show more relatable and inclusive.
The cast has great chemistry and includes Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury, Jonathan Bailey as Anthony, Ruby Barker as Lady Crane, Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington, Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne, Ruth Gemmell as Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton, Claudia Jessie as Eloise Luke Newton as Colin, Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte, and Simone Ashley as Kate.
3Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Storyis a spin-off miniseries that debuted on Netflix on July 23, 2025. It stars India Amarteifio as young Queen Charlotte, Golda Rosheuvel as the mature Queen, Corey Mylchreest as young King George III, and James Fleet as the mature King. The story follows two different timelines. The first begins in 1761 and details the royal couple’s budding romance, the King’s first signs of mental illness, and the Queen’s rise to power. And the second starts with the death of the heir princess in 1817, and the Queen’s concern about the royal line.
Related:Queen Charlotte: A Darker and Deeper Bridgerton Story
Despite spanning only six episodes, the show is considered by fans even better thanBridgerton, focusing on storylines from the lower class, featuring the first gay couple in the franchise, delving into the intriguing Lady Danbury’s (Arsema Thomas) past, humanizing the young King, and exploring the Queen’s interactions with her many children.
The GuardiandubsQueen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story“a ravishing, romp-packed prequel,” and “a comic, emotive pleasure.”
