Shonda Rhimes probably needs to be called the Queen of ABC about now, since she not only has “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice” running consecutively on the network as well as selling 1985-set hotel drama “Gilded Lillys” to ABC, but she and her company ShondaLand have also recently sold yet another show to ABC called “The Circle.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show involves ten friends who were also adopted as children by a billionaire philanthropist. They begin to examine their pasts more closely when one of them is murdered. Rhimes and producing partner Betsy Beers will be non-writing exec producers and the show will be written by Richard Robbins, who will also serve as the show’s executive producer.

Rhimes is doing an expert job of carving out their brand name on ABC–aside from “Gilded Lillys” and “The Circle,” Rhimes and Jenna Bans from Rhimes’ other medical-themed show, “Off the Map”, has also sold an untitled drama to ABC. That show involves a young lawyer who was recently fired and is trying hard to start his own law firm, according to the site.

Let’s see–hotels, the ER room, doctor’s practices, law firms–where else can Rhimes take people? Perhaps make a drama revolving around a theme park? It could happen.

You can read more about Shondaland’s domination at The Hollywood Reporter here. Also,write what you think about “The Circle”–like, will it be supreme competition for soapy drama “Revenge”?–in the comments section below.

By Monique Jones

Monique Jones blogs about race and culture in entertainment, particularly movies and television. You can read her articles at Racialicious, and her new site, COLOR . You can also listen to her new podcast, What would Monique Say.

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