Private Practice - Season 1
Premieres: Wednesday, September 26th at 9:00 p.m. EST
Network: ABC
Creator(s): Shonda Rhimes
Starring: Kate Walsh, Taye Diggs, Audra McDonald, Paul Adelstein, Tim Daley, Amy Brenneman, Chris Lowell, KaDee Strickland
Website: ABC.com
Private Practice is a spinoff of Grey’s Anatomy that follows Addison Montgomery (Walsh) as she leaves Seattle Grace, McDreamy, McSteamy and all of the resulting McDrama behind. As you may have been able to deduce from the title, she goes to California and joins a private practice run by her best friend from med school, Naomi (McDonald).
The de facto premiere of this series aired during an episode of Grey’s, so fans of that show already have an idea of what they’re in for—basically Grey’s Anatomy for old people. Not old as in Golden Girls old, mind you, but old in an “our actors are actually playing their own ages, unlike a certain actress whose name rhymes with ‘Melon Mompeo’ who plays a character ten years younger than she really is while looking twenty years older” kind of way.
In any case, you can be sure to expect the requisite forlorn looks from across the room and heartfelt monologues as Addison deals with the aftermath of a failed marriage and the inability to have a baby while trying to fit in at the holistic medicine practice.
I love Kate Walsh, so when the idea for a spinoff was originally announced, I was psyched. Even though I’m a fan of Grey’s Anatomy, I was completely over the whole Derek/Meredith/Addison love triangle that the idea of seeing Addison in a new environment was exciting. Then I watched the “premiere” during Grey’s, and holy crap, was that ever boring.
Walsh and Tim Daly had about as much chemistry as a pair of socks, and one of the few highlights for me was Merrin Dungey as Naomi (I loved her as Francie on Alias), but producers recast the role and replaced her with Audra McDonald. On the plus side, at least they still have Piz from Veronica Mars (Lowell). I’ll give this show a chance, but unless they changed a lot more than who plays Naomi, I don’t have high hopes for this show.
