ShondaLand

Thank God It's Thursday

In 2014, ABC programmed its entire Thursday primetime lineup with ShondaLand dramas Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and The Catch, then branded the night as "Thank God It's Thursday" (or "TGIT"). This echoes ABC's former TGIF branding of its Friday night family sitcoms and NBC's Must See TV promotion of formidable Thursday night television hits in the 1990s. Thursday is an especially important night for American television networks because it is the last chance for advertisers of weekend purchases, like movies and cars, to reach a large TV audience, and networks schedule highly rated programming for the night to attract those advertising dollars. The Associated Press called Rhimes' reign of an entire night of network television "unmatched in TV history". Social media accounts for each of the shows highlight "TGIT" with various promotional material, occasionally referencing one another — such as when the How to Get Away with Murder Facebook page posted a selfie by Jack Falahee, who plays a character in How to Get Away with Murder, taken in the Oval Office on the set of Scandal. Various actors from the shows also sometimes post pictures of themselves together.

Actors within ShondaLand

Some actors appear on more than one ShondaLand show. Characters can be recurring in one series while a main character in another. Currently, Liza Weil, Mimi Kennedy, John Getz, José Zuñig, and Cynthia Stevenson are the only actors to make appearances in four out of the six shows.

Grey's Anatomy (2005–present)

The series follows Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), the daughter of an esteemed general surgeon named Ellis Grey, following her acceptance onto the residency program at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital. During her tenure as a resident, Grey works alongside fellow doctors Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), and George O'Malley (T. R. Knight), who each struggle to balance their personal lives with the hectic work and training schedules assigned to them. They are overseen during their internship by Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), a senior resident who works beneath Grey's love-interest Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), the head of neurosurgery; Yang's fiance Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington), the head of cardiothoracic surgery; and Ellis Grey's ex-lover Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.), the Chief of Surgery. The residents are later joined by Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) and April Kepner (Sarah Drew), former Mercy-West residents who join Seattle Grace following an administrative merger in the sixth season. (Throughout the first six seasons O'Malley, Burke, and Stevens all depart from the series, which has become very controversial in the media over its life-span.) In addition to Shepherd, Webber, and Burke, the surgical wing is primarily supervised by Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), as head of trauma; Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), as head of pediatric surgery; Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez), a resident who later becomes head of orthopedics; Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith), as head of cardiothoracic surgery; Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), as head of plastic surgery; Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), as head of OB/GYN, neonatal, and fetal surgery; Teddy Altman (Kim Raver), as head of cardiothoracic surgery; and Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), Derek's sister who is hired to replace him as head of neurosurgery. Derek is killed in the series' 11th season.

Later additions to the residency program include Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh), Meredith's half-sister. Lexie is killed alongside Mark Sloan in the season 8 finale; Stephanie Edwards (Jerrika Hinton); Leah Murphy (Tessa Ferrer); Shane Ross (Gaius Charles), who departs alongside Yang in the 10th season finale; Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington), a doctor who begins a romantic relationship with Karev; Andrew Deluca (Giacomo Gianniotti), the love interest of Meredith's half sister Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary), who also serves as head of cardiothoracic surgery; and Benjamin Warren (Jason George), an anesthesiologist who has to balance his wife Miranda Bailey's new role as Chief of Surgery with his own desire to succeed. Season 12 sees the arrival of Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson), while Meredith is appointed head of general surgery - a post previously held by her mother.

Private Practice (2007–13)

This American medical drama television series aired on ABC from September 26, 2007 to January 22, 2013. A spin-off of Grey's Anatomy, the series takes place at Seaside Wellness Center (formerly Oceanside Health & Wellness Group) and chronicles the life of Dr. Addison Montgomery, played by Kate Walsh, as she leaves Seattle Grace Hospital in order to join a private practice located in Los Angeles. Private Practice also revolves around Addison's co-workers at Seaside Wellness Center, and how they deal with patients and the practice while still finding time to live their everyday lives. The first season deals with Addison's move from Seattle to Los Angeles and her attempts to adjust to a very different type of working environment at Oceanside Wellness Group, a co-op private practice. The first season also deals with her budding relationships with her new co-workers, among them her best friend Naomi Bennett, a fertility specialist, and Naomi's ex-husband Sam Bennett, who specializes in internal medicine. Also working in the practice are psychiatrist Violet Turner, pediatrician Cooper Freedman, alternative medicine specialist Pete Wilder, and receptionist Dell Parker. It is revealed early on that the Bennetts established the practice with the rest of the doctors owning a share of it, as well. Charlotte King, who serves as chief of staff at St. Ambrose Hospital, works with Oceanside Wellness through her dealings with Sam and her sexual relationship with Cooper.

Off the Map (2011)

The series is set in a remote South American village, where six doctors search for the reasons that brought each of them to medicine. Lily Brenner, Tommy Fuller, and Mina Minard are all running away from their lives when they find themselves practicing medicine in paradise. Paradise simply happens to be the most challenging place to practice medicine in the world. Ben Keeton, the youngest ever Chief of Surgery at UCLA and founder of the clinic, acts as their guide and mentor in a world of dangers alongside his trusted colleagues: Otis Cole, Zita Alareina Toledo Alvarez ("Zee" for short), and the mysterious Ryan Clark. They also meet Charlie, a 14-year-old boy who works at the clinic as a translator among other things, who has an instant connection with Tommy. Lily challenges herself to save a man from death on a zip line. Tommy's willingness to concede finds him at odds with Cole and almost costs him his place at the clinic. Mina almost loses a patient because she fails to recognize the simplest diagnosis. It's a rough beginning, but they've made it through.

Scandal (2012–present)

Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) is a former White House Communications Director for the President of the United States, who has left to run her own crisis management firm, Olivia Pope & Associates, dedicating her life to protecting the public images of the nation's elite, but struggles with leaving her past relationship with the President, Fitzgerald Grant III (Tony Goldwyn) behind. This leads to a complicated relationship with the First Lady, Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young). Further complications ensue when former Navy Seal and coworker to the president, Jake Ballard (Scott Foley), begins a relationship with Olivia. Olivia and her team of "gladiators", including former CIA operative Huck Finn (Guillermo Diaz), professional hacker Quinn Perkins (Katie Lowes), identity politics expert Marcus Walker (Cornelius Smith Jr.), Press Liaison to the White House, Abby Whelan (Darby Stanchfield), Attorney General of the United States, David Rosen (Josh Malina), and White House Chief of Staff, Cyrus Beene (Jeff Perry), all work to ensure President Grant remains in power, and give the Grant Administration an admirable legacy against the attacks of a vindictive and ambitious Mellie Grant and the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, Elizabeth North (Portia de Rossi). Former OPA workers include former Wall Street banker Harrison Wright (Columbus Short) and Russian oligarchy operative Steven Finch (Henry Ian Cusick).

How to Get Away with Murder (2014–present)

Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) is a prominent criminal defense attorney and a law professor at Middleton University in Philadelphia. She selects five students to intern at her firm: Wes Gibbins (Alfred Enoch), Connor Walsh (Jack Falahee), Michaela Pratt (Aja Naomi King), Asher Millstone (Matt McGorry), and Laurel Castillo (Karla Souza). They work with Annalise's employees, Frank Delfino (Charlie Weber) and Bonnie Winterbottom (Liza Weil), an associate lawyer. As Season 1 introduces occasional clients for Keating, it explores two related murders through both flashback and flashforward sequences: Lila Stangard, mistress of Annalise's husband Sam Keating and a student at Middleton; and then Sam Keating at the hands of Annalise's interns.

The first nine episodes alternate between the present-day timeline in medias res, depicting Wes, Connor, Michaela, and Laurel covering up Sam's murder by disposing of his body, and flashbacks detailing the course of events leading up to Sam's death: Annalise becomes involved in the Lila Stangard investigation at Wes' urging, leading her to discover Sam's affair and creating suspicion that he killed Lila. The final six episodes explore Annalise's attempt to help her interns cover up Sam's murder and legally implicate Sam in Lila's death, and flashbacks to Lila's final moments before her murder.

The Catch (2016–present)

This American crime drama television series starring Mireille Enos and Peter Krause follows Alice Vaughan (Enos), a private investigator from Los Angeles, who is the victim of fraud by her fiancé. She is determined to find him—between working on other cases—before it ruins her career. Peter Krause plays her fiancé, Benjamin Jones, while Sonya Walger, Rose Rollins, Elvy Yost, Jay Hayden, Jacky Ido, and Alimi Ballard also co-star.

Still Star-Crossed (Coming in 2017)

Still Star-Crossed is an upcoming American period drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes and based on the eponymous book by Melinda Taub. The series, produced by ShondaLand and ABC Studios, is set to premiere on ABC in 2017.

I’m Judging You (TBA)

I’m Judging You is an upcoming American comedy television series created by Shonda Rhimes and based on the eponymous book by Luvvie Ajayi. The series, produced by ShondaLand and ABC Studios, is set to premiere on ABC, though its release date has not yet been announced.