Tony Phelan is an American television screenwriter, producer and director. [1] He is married to television producer and screenwriter Joan Rater. [2]
Phelan is best known for his work on ABC's Grey's Anatomy , for which he has been nominated for two Emmys and three WGA awards, winning one shared with the show's writing team. On Grey's Anatomy, he produced over two dozen episodes, wrote five and served as co-executive producer for another eighteen. [3] His wife also works on the show, which they joined at the beginning of the second season. Together, they became executive producers and ran the writers room alongside show creator Shonda Rhimes. [4] They left the show after the tenth season ended sealing a two-year deal with CBS Television Studios. [5] While at CBS, under their production company Midwest Livestock, the pair created the legal drama Doubt which lasted one season. They then signed an overall deal with NBC/Universal and created the family drama Council of Dads which ran for 13 episodes.
Most recently, Phelan and Rater created the critically acclaimed historical limited series A Small Light for NatGeo and Disney+. This story of Miep Gies who helped hide the Frank family in Amsterdam during World War II won the Humanitas Prize in Limited Series; the Gotham Award for Best Breakthrough Series; and the Television Academy Honors for a drama series that creates awareness, enlightens, educates and/or positively motivates audiences.
They are also the creators and executive producers of Fire Country on CBS, and "Sheriff Country" which premieres Fall 2025.
Phelan got his start as a TV director on "Grey's Anatomy", eventually directing multiple episodes including the musical episode. He later directed episodes of "Madam Secretary", "Doubt", "Council of Dads" and "A Small Light".
His other work includes producing and writing for "Madam Secretary" Law & Order: Trial by Jury , and writing for the programs Push, Nevada , Threat Matrix , MDs , Haunting Sarah , Fling , and Cover Me .
Martha Mills Noxon is an American television and film writer, director, and producer. She is best known for her work as a screenwriter and executive producer on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003). She was also executive producer, writer, and creator of the Bravo comedy-drama series Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce (2014–18) and the Lifetime drama series UnREAL (2015–18), and an executive producer of the CBS medical drama series Code Black (2015–17).
ABC Signature is an American television production studio and the flagship production arm of ABC, which is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a sub-division of the Disney Entertainment business segment and division of The Walt Disney Company.
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, later named the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The series premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The show's title is an allusion to Gray's Anatomy, a classic human anatomy textbook. Writer Shonda Rhimes developed the pilot and served as showrunner, head writer, and executive producer until stepping down in 2015. Set in Seattle, Washington, the series is filmed primarily in Los Angeles, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia.
René Echevarria is an American screenwriter and producer. He has worked on a number of television series, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Dark Angel and Castle. He created The 4400 for USA Network, Carnival Row for Amazon, and was show runner on Terra Nova.
Shonda Lynn Rhimes, is an American television producer and screenwriter, and founder of the production company Shondaland. Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame, Rhimes became known as the showrunner—creator, head writer, and executive producer—of the medical drama Grey's Anatomy (2005–present), its spin-off Private Practice (2007–2013) and the political thriller Scandal (2012–2018), becoming the first woman to create three television dramas that have achieved the 100 episode milestone.
The first season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy began airing in the United States on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on March 27, 2005, and concluded on May 22, 2005, and consist of only nine episodes, making it the shortest season to date. The first season introduces the main character, Meredith Grey, as she enrolls in Seattle Grace Hospital's internship program and faces unexpected challenges and surprises. Season one had nine series regulars, three of whom have been part of the main cast ever since. The season initially served as a mid-season replacement for the legal drama Boston Legal, airing in the Sunday night time slot at 10:00, after Desperate Housewives. Although no clip shows have been produced for this season, the events that occur are recapped in "Straight to Heart", a clip-show which aired one week before the winter holiday hiatus of the second season ended. The season was officially released on DVD as two-disc Region 1 box set under the title of Grey's Anatomy: Season One on February 14, 2006, by Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
The second season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy commenced airing on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on September 25, 2005, and concluded on May 15, 2006. The season was produced by Touchstone Television in conjuction with Shondaland production company and The Mark Gordon Company, the showrunner being Shonda Rhimes. Actors Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, and T. R. Knight reprised their roles as surgical interns Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Izzie Stevens, Alex Karev, and George O'Malley respectively. Previous main cast members Chandra Wilson, James Pickens, Jr., Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey also returned, while Kate Walsh, who began the season in a recurring capacity, was promoted to series-regular status, after appearing in 7 episodes as a guest-star. Internationally, the season was distributed by Buena Vista International Television.
Krista Vernoff is an American television screenwriter, executive producer and director. She is best known for being the showrunner for Grey's Anatomy and its spin-off, Station 19 (2019–2023). She has also served as executive producer and writer for Shameless. Other works as producer-writer for television include Charmed and Wonderfalls.
The third season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy, commenced airing on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on September 21, 2006, and concluded on May 17, 2007. The season was produced by Touchstone Television, in association with Shondaland Production Company and The Mark Gordon Company, the showrunner being Shonda Rhimes. Actors Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers and T. R. Knight reprised their roles as surgical interns Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Izzie Stevens, Alex Karev and George O'Malley, respectively, continuing their expansive storylines as focal points throughout the season. Previous main cast members Chandra Wilson, James Pickens, Jr., Kate Walsh, Isaiah Washington, and Patrick Dempsey also returned, while previous guest-stars Sara Ramirez and Eric Dane were promoted to series-regulars, following the extension of their contracts.
Joan Rater is an American television producer and screenwriter. Her most notable work has been for the medical drama Grey's Anatomy, for which she has served as writer, producer and supervising producer for over fifty separate episodes. She is married to Tony Phelan who also works on the show.
George Vincent Gilligan Jr. is an American screenwriter, producer, and director. He is best known as the creator, primary writer, executive producer, and occasional director of the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad (2008–2013) and its spin-off prequel series Better Call Saul (2015–2022). He also wrote, directed, and produced the Breaking Bad sequel film El Camino (2019).
Sadie Harris, M.D. is a fictional character from the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy, which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes and portrayed by actress Melissa George. Introduced as a surgical intern who has an old companionship with the series' protagonist Meredith Grey, she eventually forms a friendship with Lexie Grey, and departs after it is revealed she cheated her way into the surgical program.
"Wishin' and Hopin'" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy, and the show's 50th episode overall. It was written by Tony Phelan and Joan Rater and directed by Julie Anne Robinson. The episode originally aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on February 1, 2007. In the episode, Dr. Meredith Grey struggles with her Alzheimer's-stricken mother, Ellis Grey, becoming temporarily lucid. Further storylines include Dr. Izzie Stevens and Dr. Miranda Bailey continuously seeking patients for their new clinic, Dr. Richard Webber dealing with the repercussions of his upcoming retirement, and Dr. George O'Malley facing negative response from colleagues on his unexpected marriage to Dr. Callie Torres.
David Manson is a Peabody Award-winning American film and television producer, screenwriter and director.
Cynthia Cidre is an American screenwriter and producer. She is best known as a showrunner and executive producer of TNT prime time soap opera Dallas (2012–14). Cidre was the creator and an executive producer for the CBS prime time soap opera Cane in 2007, and wrote the scripts for the films In Country (1989), A Killing in a Small Town (1990) and The Mambo Kings (1992). In 2015, she joined as co-showrunner another prime-time soap opera, Blood & Oil, on ABC.
"I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked" is the twelfth episode of the sixth season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy, and the show's 114th episode overall. It was written by Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, and directed by Donna Deitch. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company in the United States on January 21, 2010. In the episode, Dr. Izzie Stevens returns to the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital with the fear that her estranged husband Dr. Alex Karev is moving on, hoping to make amends. Further storylines include Dr. Derek Shepherd contemplating as to whether or not he should report the chief of surgery Dr. Richard Webber, for his alcoholism, and Dr. Callie Torres battling the chicken pox.
"I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watchin' Me" is the third episode of the sixth season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy, and the show's 105th episode overall. It was written by Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, and directed by Michael Pressman. The episode was originally broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on October 1, 2009. In the episode, the physicians of Seattle Grace struggle to maintain their jobs as the hospital merges with Mercy West. Further storylines include Dr. Izzie Stevens returning to work full-time, too quickly after her surgery, and Dr. Cristina Yang working under Dr. Arizona Robbins.
Shondaland is an American television production company founded by television writer and producer Shonda Rhimes. She founded it to be one of the production companies of her first series, the medical drama Grey's Anatomy in 2005. It has since gone on to produce Rhimes's other creations, Grey's spinoff Private Practice and the political drama Scandal, and her other productions—the short-lived Off the Map, the Viola Davis-starring legal thriller How to Get Away with Murder, and the crime thriller The Catch—all of which are co-produced with ABC Studios and air on ABC. As of 2017, it has a partnership affiliation with Netflix creating shows like Bridgerton and the spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Their logo features a rollercoaster.
Council of Dads is an American drama television series inspired by the book The Council of Dads by Bruce Feiler, developed by Joan Rater and Tony Phelan, that premiered on NBC as part of the 2019–20 television season, on March 24, 2020. In June 2020, the series was canceled after one season.
The nineteenth season of the American medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy was announced on January 10, 2022, by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). It premiered on October 6, 2022, for the 2022–23 broadcast television season. Krista Vernoff returned for the season as executive producer and showrunner alongside her production company Trip the Light Productions. ABC Signature and Shondaland also co-produce the series.
Tony Phelan at IMDb