The Works of Shonda Rhimes - (Screen Storytellers) by Anna Weinstein (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Works of Shonda Rhimes brings together a collection of essays that look critically at the works of this award-winning writer, producer, and CEO of the global media company, Shondaland. Screenwriting and television studies scholars explore how Rhimes's series have been at the forefront of change in the television landscape in the past two decades. It offers the reader insights into the cultural impact of Rhimes's work, illuminating how one of the most powerful television creators and showrunners in the history of the medium has crafted and shaped screen stories that speak to viewers spanning all demographics across the globe"--

Book Synopsis

The Works of Shonda Rhimes, the first book in Bloomsbury's Screen Storytellers series, brings together a collection of essays that look critically at the works of this award-winning writer, producer, and CEO of the global media company, Shondaland.

Shonda Rhimes's television series, and those created and produced through Shondaland, have left an important imprint on television history. Beginning with her groundbreaking series Grey's Anatomy, the series created under the umbrella of Rhimes's brand, including Private Practice, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, For the People, Station 19, Bridgerton, Inventing Anna, and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, have delighted global audiences with their innovative storytelling, dynamic characters, and the inclusion of contemporary social issues woven throughout the storylines.

In this collection of essays, screenwriting and television studies scholars explore the ways in which Rhimes's series have been at the forefront of change in the television landscape in the past two decades, including discussions of the representation of women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ characters; inclusivity in casting; innovations in pilot and series development; variations on genre; and disruptive business and marketing practices. This collection of essays offers emerging screenwriters and informed consumers of television insights into the cultural impact of Rhimes's work as well as how one of the most powerful television creators and showrunners in the history of the medium has crafted and shaped screen stories that speak to viewers spanning all demographics across the globe.

Review Quotes

"What a great collection to start the Screen Storytellers series. Anna Weinstein has pulled together an exciting and refreshing look at the role of the television series creator and writer, in this case with a focus on the ground-breaking Shonda Rhimes. What this book, indeed the whole series, does is reinforce the crucial role played by the television creator or writer, not only in an industry context but also for what they do for culture and society. This book and its wider series is a positive step forward in the global development of screenwriting studies." --Craig Batty, Executive Dean (UniSA Creative), University of South Australia

"The Works of Shonda Rhimes dives deep into Shonda Rhimes' television universe. This collection provides a captivating exploration of Rhimes' visionary storytelling and illuminates her impact on the small screen, from the long-running Grey's Anatomy to groundbreaking series like Scandal and the period romance Bridgerton. The Works of Shonda Rhimes is essential reading for fans, scholars, and anyone passionate about storytelling. This anthology celebrates Shonda Rhimes' indelible mark on television and her enduring legacy as one of the most influential screenwriters of our time" --Guy Nicolucci, Assistant Professor, School of Communication and Media, Montclair State University, USA

"An incisive, multifaceted analysis of the showrunner's work that will prove informative and useful to aspiring writers, critics, scholars, and fans of her series. The chapters are succinctly written, tightly focused, thoroughly researched, accessibly written, and insightful. The result is a worthwhile, mind-opening read." --Paul Joseph Gulino, Professor, Chapman University, USA

"Building off a broad range of perspectives, the thought-provoking contributions assembled in this collection astutely curated by Anna Weinstein not only pull into focus an over-expansive investigation of the work of Shonda Rhimes but capture its unique Zeitgeist as well as the disruptive, cross-cultural impact of one of the most influential creators in contemporary television. Timely and insightful, and at the same time accessible, this promises to become the pilot in a series of volumes that will deepen our understanding of the compelling complexities and significance of the craft, creativity, and business relevance of screenwriters beyond established canons." --Paolo Russo, Former Chair of the Screenwriting Research Network, Oxford Brookes University, UK

About the Author

Anna Weinstein is on the screenwriting faculty at Kennesaw State University, USA. She is Series Editor of the SCREEN STORYTELLERS book series and PERFORM: Succeeding as a Creative Professional book series. She is the author of Writing Women for Film & Television: A Guide to Creating Complex Female Characters (2023) and editor of Writing for the Screen (2017) and Directing for the Screen (2017).