Broadcast TV Desperately Needs the Next Shonda Rhimes

Yes, my friends, this is about the TGIT television era, which held us in a chokehold every Thursday night.

No one and nothing is doing it the way Shonda Rhimes did during the height of ABC’s Thursday night programming, which saw Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder blowing our minds during a full three-hour block.

Sure, other television juggernauts have tried to come close (FBI, Law & Order, and whatever the hell Ryan Murphy is doing), but broadcast television desperately needs a new Shonda Rhimes.

Broadcast TV is on the Frontlines for Great Programming

We’re in a streaming age, and most people prefer to tune into their streamer of choice and binge-watch whatever latest series people shared on social media for all three seconds.

And there’s nothing wrong with that at all.

Nevertheless, sometimes people fail to consider that the biggest and most popular streamer, Netflix, relies heavily on acquisitions and deals with foreign series and many broadcast shows we know and love.

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From medical dramas to first responder shows, these series find new life and audiences on Netflix, and they boost the streamer when people can discover things that those of us who are devoted to broadcast television know have existed and done so well.

Sometimes, the key to proper and quality programming on streaming networks is ensuring we get the same quality on broadcast without canceling it five seconds later.

Broadcast television is the battleground for storytelling, so we need to revitalize one of the best eras.

Shonda Rhimes Has the Midas Touch (and Broadcast Needs It)

Shonda Rhimes has a way of creating gold with most of her projects, and nothing supports that more than her TGIT lineup.

Grey’s Anatomy remains a staple on ABC, consistently making history for its long tenure. It’s currently in its 21st season on the air.

It’s been on so long that it’s hard to consider what Grey’s Anatomy managed to achieve, becoming a pop culture hit that exploded onto the scene with a virtually unknown cast, skyrocketing everyone’s careers and landing deals everywhere.

Does anyone else remember what it was like seeing Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey’s faces plastered all over some of the biggest fashion brands? There wasn’t a place you turned where they weren’t everywhere.

We saw the same with Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn as they became household names for the masses who weren’t aware of their status or work beforehand.

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Shonda series were titans of broadcast, thrilling, must-see television that had people locked in every week and ushering in a new era of viewer and fan experiences, from live-tweeting to the next era of “watercooler conversations.”

Without Shonda, Network TV Has Lost That Fervor

Shonda Rhimes is a true talent, and no one does it like her. She’s taken her skills to Netflix, where she’s created the Bridgerton franchise, another juggernaut, and other projects like Inventing Anna or the upcoming The Residence.

And that’s all great. Rhimes has more than earned the right to take her talents where she feels they’re better suited and to devote her time to other projects that we know and love.

We need the next generation of writers, creators, and showrunners like Shonda Rhimes.

The Biggest Names Proliferating Broadcast These Days Are All Men

No shade to any of the big names out there, but broadcast’s domination consists of Dick Wolf, Ryan Murphy, and Greg Berlanti.

Frankly, the latter doesn’t get nearly as much credit as he deserves for his offerings.

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And there’s nothing wrong with any of these men. Dick Wolf’s franchises are likely carrying most of broadcast network programming on their backs these days, as he has capitalized off his lane and successfully padded network television across many channels with beloved procedurals we cannot get enough of.

My annoyances with Ryan Murphy’s domination aside, he’s a proven success, and some of his broadcast offerings have the same longevity and pop culture staying power as Rhimes’s.

Glee continues to reach new generations and audiences, and we needn’t get into how obsessed we are all with the 9-1-1 franchise and will probably be for decades to come.

Shonda Rhimes is a Trailblazer, But When Will Others Get to Follow Her Path?

But there was also something inspiring and crucial about having a prominent woman, especially one of color, at the forefront of an industry dominated exclusively by white men.

Shonda Rhimes is an industry icon and trailblazer for all the doors she opened up and the walls she broke down. However, the question now is when will the people who have come after her get the same opportunities and reach the level of acclaim that she has?

It’s not to imply that there aren’t thousands of talented individuals who aren’t actively trying to get their foot in the door. We know how this industry works, so there likely are, but when will they have their seat at the table so they can have the opportunity to accomplish even half of what Rhimes has done?

Broadcast desperately needs that.

Viewers Rediscover or Find Comfort in These Timeless Series…

What does it say about the state of broadcast television, its revolving door of spinoffs, reboots, and revivals, and series ushered off before they get a chance to grow an audience when more viewers look to the past for storytelling pleasure?

We’re 21 seasons into Grey’s Anatomy, and people are still discovering it as if it’s the newest, greatest thing and going on emotional journeys with compelling characters who’ve carved out their space amongst the greatest that the medium has to offer.

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It’s not lost that Scandal has become such a comfort show for people that even casual fans of the series have found themselves on their fourth and fifth rewatch rather than tuning into half of what the network has to offer now.

And it’s been a decade since Viola Davis uttered the phrase. But How to Get Away with Murder‘s “Why is your penis on a dead girl’s phone” inquiry is as iconic as Annalise Keating’s infinitely meme-able courtroom walk, currently mocked on TikTok to this very day.

Shonda Rhimes had a formula that worked; her TV shows still resonate with viewers all these years later, and her continued efforts to find new audiences are living proof of that.

Will Broadcast Ever Recapture That Same Magic, and Will Networks & Audiences Allow Series that Deliver to Thrive?

So, why hasn’t broadcast given anyone else space to recreate a similar magic?

And why do some of the best to emerge not have the full breadth of support when they’re out there?

Offhand, Nkechi Okoro Carroll is one of the best names in the game. She’s had stellar work on shows like Bones, The Resident, and Rosewood.

She’s proven to be a light at the end of the tunnel with All-American and All-American Homecoming, and her series Found is remarkable.

No other series has been able to achieve the impressive writing, character work, amazing twists, and powerful, jaw-dropping storytelling of Found. Yet, it doesn’t receive nearly the same level of acclaim and fanfare.

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NK is a bright light in a current landscape that hasn’t seen many women thrive behind the scenes. As such, she’s carrying a baton, but there’s still so much room for improvement on that front.

Few Series Still Deliver on Resonant, Complex, and Iconic Characters on Broadcast

Shonda Rhimes’s series has some of the most realistic and resonant female characters onscreen.

Olivia Pope, Meredith Grey, and Annalise Keating weren’t perfect characters. In fact, there are many instances when they could be downright unlikable.

Yet, you always rooted for them and wanted to tune into their stories and lives. Rhimes had her finger on the pulse of writing complex women with layers rather than more idealistic or sexist versions of them.

The characters were always messy and complicated; they did terrible things and were selfish. Many of them endured a lot of trauma or faced challenges, but they overcame them all the same.

Shonda Rhimes’ characters always resonated with viewers because they appealed to our deepest insecurities, flaws, and fears while still emerging as strong, fascinating, worthy characters regardless.

The world has beautiful shades of gray, and these television series highlighted that well. No one came across as one-note, and fanservice didn’t take precedence when telling stories.

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Television Needs the Unifying Power and Diversity that Rhimes-like Shows Deliver Now More Than Ever

Rhimes’ shows understand human emotions and how to depict them. Their plots kept us guessing and dissecting for weeks, sometimes even years.

We rarely see this quality onscreen anymore. Outside of series like Found or Hallmark’s The Way Home, I can’t think of too many shows that deliver weekly exciting twists and turns, foster as many theories, or generate so much discussion.

Rhimes’ series had a unifying quality. It never mattered who you were or your walk of life — you could always find a character who resonated with you onscreen, and her series appealed to the masses.

We don’t see much of that anymore, and we’re living in a time when we need it most. The diversity onscreen took many forms, and as a result, the storylines were more enriching than ever.

These series were always all-encompassing with their diversity, a byproduct of the series’ casting not narrowing the scope of who wanted to audition for what role and in what way.

It’s an era of television that procured ratings success, strong writing, compelling characters, and lasting power.

And that’s an era of television that needs to reemerge.

Are you missing the Shonda Rhimes Era of television? Let’s discuss below!

The post Broadcast TV Desperately Needs the Next Shonda Rhimes appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Source: TV Fanatic