*Shonda Rhimes can add another accolade to her crowded trophy case.
Announced Thursday morning, the prolific showrunner behind “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder,” will take her place in history among the latest inductees into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
Rhimes will be inducted alongside fellow TV writer-producer John Wells, 10-time Emmy-winning art director Roy Christopher, the late Joan Rivers and the entire original cast of “Saturday Night Live.” (That’s Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman — as well as the late Gilda Radner and John Belushi.)
“All of these individuals are innovators who have shaped television and left an indelible mark on the medium and our culture,” said Hayma Washington, chairman and CEO of the Television Academy. “We are honored to welcome the latest group of distinguished individuals and look forward to showcasing their impacts for future generations.”
The 2017 honorees will be celebrated at the annual Hall of Fame ceremony on Nov. 15 at the TV Academy’s Saban Media Center. They join more than 135 other TV professionals who’ve been inducted since the Hall of Fame launched in 1984.
“Television’s evolution can be attributed to the substantial work of numerous individuals,” said Hall of Fame Selection Committee Chair Rick Rosen. “It is a pleasure to honor a group whose contributions have had and will continue to have a powerful influence on our ever exciting and evolving industry.”