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TV 'titan' Shonda Rhimes found her escape and her spark by simply playing

Part 4 of the TED Radio Hour episode Escaping the modern world and your noisy mind

Shonda Rhimes is a TV powerhouse. But back in 2013, she was feeling burnt out. Instead of pulling back, she said "yes" to singing showtunes, dance parties and blowing bubbles with her kids.

About Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes is an award-winning television creator, producer and author, as well as the CEO of the global media company, Shondaland. Rhimes is the first woman to create three television dramas – Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and Scandal – that have achieved the 100 episode milestone. For five TV seasons, award-winning Shondaland shows Grey's Anatomy, Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder occupied ABC's entire Thursday night schedule.

In 2017, Rhimes shifted the entertainment industry's business model when she left network television to exclusively produce streaming content in partnership with Netflix. Bridgerton, Shondaland's first scripted series with the streamer, has become a worldwide franchise.

She's a New York Times best-selling author for her memoir, Year of Yes, about how saying yes changed her life. She's also the founder of The Rhimes Foundation, whose mission is to support arts, education, and activism.

This segment of the TED Radio Hour was produced by Matthew Cloutier and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHourand email us at [email protected].

Web Resources
Related TED Bio: Shonda Rhimes
Related TED Talk: Three ideas. Three contradictions. Or not.
Related TED Talk: My journey from Marine to actor

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Copyright 2025 NPR

Manoush Zomorodi
Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
Matthew Cloutier
Matthew Cloutier is a producer for TED Radio Hour. While at the show, he has focused on stories about science and the natural world, ranging from Mars rovers and failed telescope launches to exploring Antarctica's hidden life and 3D scans of the planet. He has also pitched these kinds of episodes, including "Through the looking glass" and "Migration."
Sanaz Meshkinpour
[Copyright 2024 NPR]