The American producer, who has spearheaded some of the most beloved television dramas over the last twenty years, shared with Sky News that her experience in Britain has been remarkably inviting, stating: “I’ve been spending more time here and am eager to increase that if I can enroll my children in a British school. I’m working on that aspect, but I truly enjoy being here, and it has always been a wonderful experience.”
Rhimes’ significant contributions to television have been celebrated at this year’s Edinburgh TV festival, where she received its inaugural fellowship award in acknowledgment of the global influence of her productions.
Her breakthrough success was Grey’s Anatomy. The medical series, which launched in 2005, is currently in its 22nd season. However, discovering an abandoned novel in a hotel room inspired her to create Bridgerton, the series that has become Netflix’s biggest hit. Although its more risqué scenes often steal the spotlight, she argues that after perusing the novels, she perceives it as a “workplace drama.”
“These are women in their vocational settings because, in a society where they have no authority, they can’t pursue anything else; their sole worth is determined by whom they marry, and their value is limited to that,” she states.
“Strange” criticism Rhimes acknowledges that there is an element of patronization in how critics label her dramas as “guilty pleasures.” “There are individuals who will never consider the realm of women to be as serious, intricate, or fascinating as the realm of men,” she comments. Rhimes finds some reactions to her choice to showcase a diverse array of actors in Bridgerton’s cast to be “strange” after critics claimed the show’s creators were “catering to woke culture.” She remarked: “The thought that I am crafting the show appearing as I do, and it wouldn’t occur to me that the cast should include more individuals who resemble me, feels like a self-
evident notion. Why would I produce something that excludes my identity in any manner?”
Given the thousands of episodes of drama she’s penned over the years, she’s acutely aware that artificial intelligence is likely employed to analyze her scripts. “There’s a risk of AI drawing from my episodes; perhaps it will refine its abilities, but foremost, I don’t believe there’s any replacement for that spark of creativity that emanates from human imagination, I truly don’t.”
When it comes to her television preferences, her eyes brighten when I mention I’ve heard she is an enormous admirer of a specific British sci-fi classic. “Oh my goodness, I’ve adored Doctor Who for ages! Forever!” she exclaims, praising writer Russell T Davies’ work as “incredible.”
She adds: “At one point, people were like ‘what’s wrong with you?’ because they weren’t familiar with the show. I fell in love during the David Tennant years and have been hooked ever since due to the writing.”
I inquire if she’s ever contemplated a crossover episode. She chuckles: “I’m not sure if there’s a Bridgerton meets Doctor Who…, but I would collaborate with Russell anytime.”