Shonda Rhimes, Black Single Mother of Two, Face of Network TV Success (Photo credit: geekchic89)

Shonda Rhimes has the Midas touch when it comes to bringing in big advertising bucks for ABC by way of her blockbuster shows “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal.”  Both hit shows bring in $13 million in advertising revenues weekly.  ”Scandal,” which draws 8.3 million viewers each week, brought in an estimated $100 million in ad revenue this season, Forbes reports. Not bad for a black single mother of two, right?

I thought people like Iyanla Vanzant, Patti Labelle, Oprah Winfrey were my sheroes, but I have to add Shonda Rhimes to the mix. She has made a name for herself, not because she was born with the proverbial silver spoon in her mouth, but because she worked hard, honed her craft, and didn’t give up. She persevered in the face of adversity.  Shonda Rhimes has become the face of network television — good network television. She is an indispensable part of the Disney brand.

Among black TV viewers Scandal, the first network drama written and produced by an African-American woman with an African-American woman in the lead role, is even more resonant. According to Nielsen, it’s the highest-rated scripted drama among African-Americans, with 10.1% of black households, or an average of 1.8 million viewers, tuning in.

“What Shonda Rhimes possesses is this extraordinary instinct and compass for what our audience needs,” says Paul Lee, the president of ABC Entertainment Group. And from where he sits it’s impossible to say no–the network credits her worlds with winning it the coveted number one spot in the women’s 18-to-49 demographic in her shows’ time slots. “That Shonda is free and has a huge amount of power to pursue her vision is precisely how the magic happens.” Source: Forbes

Instead of crying “woe is me” after she graduated from USC with a Master of Fine Arts degree and didn’t have a job in the film industry. She worked at a variety of day jobs, including as an office administrator, and then as a counselor at a job center that taught mentally ill and homeless people job skills, to make ends meet. She got a break in 1995 to work as a research director on the “Hank Aaron:  Chasing the Dream” documentary. Then, she made her directorial debut in 1998, with the short film “Blossoms and Veils.” As they say, the rest is history — fast-forwarding to 2013 and her two hit series.

I have to admit, “Scandal” more than “Grey’s Anatomy” is my weekly indulgence. Can’t wait to see this week’s episode. It’s going to be explosive!!!!