Zahir McGhee, who wrote the critically praised ‘The Lawn Chair’ episode, will not follow Shonda Rhimes to Netflix.
Another key member of the Shondaland family is staying put at ABC Studios.
Scandal writer Zahir McGhee has signed his first overall deal with the studio behind the ABC drama.
Under the two-year pact, McGhee will create and develop new projects for the studio behind Scandal while also working on existing series.
McGhee is a Shondaland disciple who started as a writer and story editor on Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Private Practice before moving to Scandal where he rose to co-exec producer. He wrote the critically praised black lives matter-themed “The Lawn Chair” episode of Scandal, among others. He is currently a co-EP on Scandal, where he has worked for six seasons, and serves in the same capacity for Shondaland’s upcoming midseason legal drama For the People. That series bows March 13 on ABC.
McGhee, who came out of 2010 ABC writers program before he was staffed on Private Practice, becomes the latest member of the Shondaland family to stay at ABC Studios following Shonda Rhimes’ decision to exit her longtime home for a lucrative Netflix deal said to be worth north of $100 million. How to Get Away With Murder creator Pete Nowalk also opted to remain in-house at ABC Studios.
Rhimes has been actively making the case for many writers in her Shondaland stable to join her at Netflix. McGhee and Nowalk’s choice to remain at ABC offers them the opportunity to have success outside of Shondaland, which will be key for McGhee with Scandal wrapping its run this season.
McGhee is repped by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham.
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