‘Grey’s Anatomy’ season 11, ‘Scandal’ season 4 returns teased in new promo

Given that Shonda Rhimes first found fame on TV running a medical drama, can you really be that surprised that the latest promo for her #TGIT lineup really lays out the symptoms of withdrawal? They are many and varied, and if you watch “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” and “How to Get Away With Murder,” they are also three hours long!

Well, the latest promo from the network makes it very clear that come January 29, the time of the withdrawals will be over. All three shows return with new episodes, and they all have work to do trying to pick up the pieces from some crazy finales. On “Scandal,” for example, Olivia Pope was kidnapped in a complicated political move. Meanwhile, “How to Get Away with Murder” made it clear that Wes killed Sam Keating, and while it seems as though he killed Lila Stangard, that is not 100% confirmed.

The first challenge that we suppose these shows have in coming back is getting back it’s momentum, given that they were completely dominant the first half of the year. The only time in which a scripted program beat any of these shows was when “The Big Bang Theory” was airing on Thursday nights.

As for the second change, that is more along the lines of seeing if they can focus maybe a little less on the “OMG” tweet-worthy moments, and more on the characters and situations themselves. The network has almost made a currency at this point out of the way in which their shows are promoted as social-media darlings, and you can still do that with a little more subtlety added.

The first season of “How to Get Away with Murder” will end by the time late February rolls around. Meanwhile, be prepared for “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal” to pick up with their final batch of episodes at some point after they air five or six throughout the February sweeps.

Which show are you the most excited about? Let us know in the comments! Also, you can sign up today to get further news on everything we cover, courtesy of our official CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: ABC.)