‘Scandal’: Could There Be a B613 Spinoff?

Scandal mastermind Shonda Rhimes is leaving the door open for a B613 spinoff.

On ABC’s political thriller, Emmy winner Joe Morton has a recurring role as Rowan Pope, the head of the black-ops organization that seemingly exists to torture his daughter, Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington). Despite numerous attempts to catch Rowan and shut down the organization — including in season four’s midseason finale — the Gladiators and their band of reformed B613 baddies continue to come up empty.

“I have my own obsessions with B613 that are probably unhealthy,” showrunner Rhimes tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I have like three versions of a B613 spinoff in my head that I obsess about constantly.”

See more On-Set With the Gladiators: Inside the Fast-Paced World of ABC’s ‘Scandal’

While little is known about the backstory of B613 that counts “alums” including Huck (Guillermo Diaz) and Jake (Scott Foley), Rhimes says juggling the demands of three series including Grey’s Anatomy and How to Get Away With Murder will likely table any conversation of a B613 spinoff — for the moment.  

“I have some jobs, as you may notice, and not a lot of time to do some new jobs,” she joked. “The last time I had three shows [Grey’s, Scandal and Private Practice] I created on the air at the same time, I promised myself I’d never do that again — so right now, I’m good.”

As for the longevity of ABC’s fast-paced political thriller, Rhimes reiterated that Scandal isn’t a show that will have a shelf life comparable to Grey’s Anatomy, which is currently in its 11th season and has stars Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey locked in for a 12th.

“I still have the same belief; it’s still the same thing. The number is still the same,” she says. “What I love is how supportive ABC is and how great [ABC Entertainment Group president] Paul Lee is. Paul says at TCA that he wants Grey’s to run forever and he’d love Scandal to run forever. There’s no bigger vote of confidence and that is wonderful. I think I just got a 20-season pickup for all my shows!”

Rhimes previously told THR that Scandal wasn’t a “10-season or eight-season show” and reiterated on Wednesday that she has an ending in mind.

“We’re telling a story and it’s a very particular story and I don’t think you could go, ‘Now this other person is Olivia Pope.’ It’s not that kind of story; I think there’s an end to it that is important for us to get to,” she said.

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Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
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