If television viewers have been keeping up with current times, they should recognize the name Shonda Rhimes. The remarkable woman has proven to be one of the greatest showrunners and screenwriter of the modern era. Rhimes was named one of Time magazine's "100 People Who Help Shape the World" in 2007, which is just one of her many phenomenal accomplishments.
Rhimes production company, "Shondaland" has produced a plethora of shows, some of which have skyrocketed off the rating charts for ABC. But in every success, there is sometimes a flop... and Rhimes is no stranger to those either.
Here are six Shonda shows we couldn't possibly live without, and four we can forgo.
10 Love: 'Grey's Anatomy'
Many deem Grey's Anatomy as the very show that cemented Shonda's name into Hollywood history books from here to eternity, with fans wondering if there will be an 18th season of the show. The series first premiered on ABC in 2005, with favorable reviews that continue to date. People were and still are obsessed with the drama-filled storylines and phenomenal acting from Grey's Anatomy.
9 Could've Done Without: 'Off The Map'
Shonda Rhimes didn't create Off the Map, but she was an executive producer on the short-lived ABC show that aired from January 2011 to April 2011. The short series was about doctors searching for the reason they went into the medical field.
Though Off the Map featured some Grey's Anatomy favs, Martin Henderson (who plays Nathan Riggs in Grey's) and Jason George (who plays Ben Warren in Grey's), the show couldn't find the same success as the other medical series under Shonda Rhime's belt.
8 Love: 'Scandal'
The name Olivia Pope is widely known for one reason - the sensational show, Scandal. The political-thriller starred Kerry Washington in one of her most iconic roles, as Pope, a woman who runs a crisis management firm and manages the various members of her firm. P.S. Washington's character also happens to be dating the President of the United States of America. That is TV GOLD.
7 Could've Done Without: 'The Catch'
The premise of The Catch had all the needed parts and was all there for the taking, but fans didn't feel it was good enough to keep up with. In the show, a private investigator falls in love with the con-artist who works for an international crime operation who defrauded her. It ran from March 2016 to May 2017 for a total of two seasons.
6 Love: 'Bridgerton'
We can't stress enough how Netflix's Bridgerton has captured the attention of viewers everywhere. From the casting, to the writing, to the utterly dangerous appeal of the actors and their characters, Rhimes knew EXACTLY what she was doing with this Julia Quinn adaption.
5 Could've Done Without: 'Still-Star Crossed'
If fans don't remember this ones, they aren't alone. The show lasted for just one season from 2016-17. And while it may have hit all the marks when it comes to a period piece, like Bridgerton, it was far from it in the eyes of both critics and fans.
4 Love: 'How To Get Away With Murder'
How to Get Away with Murder is a legal thriller that won fans over from the start. The cast was led by the sensational Viola Davis (who recently expressed her grief when it came to Cicely Tyson's death). Davis plays a law professor who gets mixed up in a murder plot.
With this role, Davis became the first Black woman to win a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a drama series. While fans and critics have been critical of the show's later seasons, it was still a top-shelf program up till its finale in May 2020.
3 Love: 'Station 19'
Station 19 is an action-drama still currently running and with no end in sight - probably thanks to Grey's Anatomy. The show is a spinoff of the medical drama and focuses on the lives of those working at a Seattle Fire Station.
One of show's main characters, Dr. Ben Warren, played by Jason George, started out on Grey's Anatomy. When he left the hospital to become a firefighter, showrunner Stacy McKee saw the perfect opportunity for a new Grey's spinoff. Although Shonda didn't create the series, she is one of the executive producers on it.
2 Could've Done Without: 'For The People'
Though the show lasted two seasons, For the People failed to capture the attention needed to make it sail in ratings. The series followed the lives of lawyers as they handled different cases, often high-profile, all while trying to maintain their personal lives.
At lease one good thing did come from For the People, though... It introduced the world to Regé-Jean Page, who fans will now recognize as the Duke in Bridgerton.
1 Love: 'Private Practice'
Didn't think we could forget about Private Practice, did you? The first Grey's Anatomy spinoff aired for six seasons on ABC, from 2007 to 2013. Many of the show's fans instantly fell in love with it, because of Kate Walsh, the actress who plays Dr. Addison Montgomery.
After Addison gave up her fight for McDreamy, there wasn't much left for her in Seattle. So, she did what every right minded person would do ... she hit the beaches of California, or rather she moved to Los Angeles and joined a private practice with her friends. Though Addison could be seen as the lead in Private Practice, the show also followed the lives of all her new co-workers, played by Tim Daly, Taye Diggs, and even Benjamin Bratt.
