My Publicist Note Book

ABC Orders Crime Thriller From Shonda Rhimes, 1 More Drama & 2 Comedy Pilots Just change the name of ABC to Shonda TV already. Or is that Shondaland? Get ready Shonda Fans...... ABC has picked up four more pilots for their 2015-16 season, including a new drama from “TGIT” queen Shonda Rhimes. All pilots hail from ABC Studios. “The Catch” from Shondaland’s Rhimes and Betsy Beers follows a female forensic accountant whose career specialty is exposing fraud for a living. Much like the leading ladies of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder,” the sure-to-be fierce woman at the forefront of the crime thriller is not all she appears to be and has a tumultuous love life. She’s about to get married, but also about to get conned by her fiancé — little does he know, her lies end up colliding with his cons. The pilot will be exec produced by Rhimes, Beers, Julie Anne Robinson and Jennifer Schuur, and co-produced by Helen Gregory and Kate Atk...

There is not really a serious contender who could take on Shonda Rhimes for the role of most powerful female showrunner or most powerful black showrunner in television. This is particularly true tonight as ABC launches freshman legal drama “How To Get Away With Murder,” a creation of Rhimes protégé Pete Nowalk that is produced under the auspices of Rhimes’ company ShondaLand, that makes Thursday nights on the network all Shonda, all the time. Annalise Keating (Academy Award nominee Viola Davis) is the charismatic professor at the heart of “How To Get Away With Murder,” the latest installment of Shonda Rhimes’ hugely successful formula. (ABC/Nicole Rivelli) Even with that title secure, it is interesting to think of the nature of Rhimes’ influence. Does her dominance of a whole night of network television prove that Rhimes can turn anything to gold? Or is “How To Get Away With Murder” proof that Rhimes has perfected a formula, but that ABC is not yet willing to take her Midas ...