Hot off the success of UK costume dramas, ABC has decided to throw its hat into the ring with Gilded Lilys, a…wait for it…Shonda Rhimes creation set in New York City in 1895. The question is whether the popularity of the costume drama will translate to the United States effectively when it’s produced in-house, or whether the series will be a complete flop.
As often happens when networks attempt to ride trends, there’s a high risk of sucking the life right out of the concept and leaving audiences cold, especially since Rhimes is juggling a lot of shows at the moment and they can’t all receive her focus and attention. Given that this is new territory for her, this could potentially be an expensive disaster for the network.