'Scandal' is Renewed for Second Season

ESSENCE’s 2012 Black Women in Hollywood honorees Shonda Rhimes and Kerry Washington have reason to celebrate: ABC gave their the hit show, Scandal, the green light for a second season.

According to Hollywood Reporter, this will be the second year in a row that Rhimes has three successful series — Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice — running on the network. It is not likely that her period drama, Gilded Lilys, will get picked up.

Scandal, a D.C.-based political drama in which Washington stars as a high-level problem solver, is based on the real-life experiences of PR guru and crisis management consultant Judy Smith.

Rhimes, Washington and Smith all graced the March issue of ESSENCE.