10 Times That ABC's Scandal Changed TV as We Knew It

After 7 twist-filled seasons, Shonda Rhimes’ groundbreaking drama signs off tonight

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From the moment that Scandal debuted on April 5, 2012, the series immediately distinguished itself from every other show on television. Kerry Washington, who stars on the ABC drama as Washington D.C. “fixer” Olivia Pope, became the first African-American female lead of a broadcast drama since 1974’s Get Christie Love, which featured Teresa Graves.

For the next seven seasons, the show kept upending TV’s status quo, as every episode was packed with jaw-dropping twists, each more shocking than the last.

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