Anatomy of a Deal: Touchstone Rewards 'Grey's' Creator- Zap2it.com- 5/12/05

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http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve...7C1%7C,00.html

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Shonda Rhimes' first foray into series television turned out about as well as it possibly could, and now she's being rewarded for it.
The creator of ABC's midseason hit "Grey's Anatomy" has signed a two-year deal with the show's producer, Touchstone TV. She'll continue her role as executive producer of the series and can also develop new projects for Touchstone, which like ABC is owned by Disney.

"With 'Grey's Anatomy,' Shonda has reinvigorated the medical drama genre with a refreshing approach to characters and storytelling," Touchstone TV president Mark Pedowitz tells The Hollywood Reporter. "Touchstone supports such innovative spirit, and we're thrilled Shonda's passion will remain with the studio."

"Grey's Anatomy," about surgical residents at a Seattle hospital, was initially scheduled for just a four-week tryout on Sunday nights as a substitute for "Boston Legal" reruns. Its ratings, however, were so good -- improving substantially on "Legal's" already solid numbers -- that ABC decided to keep it on the air for the remainder of the season and bump the final five episodes of "Boston Legal" to the fall.