Kate Walsh Leads Shonda Rhimes’ Spin-Off Private Practice, Still Streaming on Disney Plus

Private Practice is Shonda Rhimes’ spin-off from Grey’s Anatomy, and it plays like a softer, sunnier version of the same engine: doctors, drama, and a clock that always runs out. Addison Forbes Montgomery moves from Seattle Grace Hospital to Los Angeles and finds her friends from medical school at a co-op called Oceanside Wellness Center. The show ran for six seasons, 111 episodes, from September 26, 2007, to January 22, 2013.

Trailer, via CokeNpopcorn.

Addison’s Move From Seattle

Kate Walsh plays Addison, a double board-certified OB/GYN who specializes in maternal-fetal medicine and fetal surgery. She leaves Seattle after divorcing Derek Shepherd. The move sets up the central question of the series: what happens when a surgeon who has spent years in a hospital finds herself in private practice, where the bills actually get paid.

The Cast of Oceanside

The main cast is a tight group, each with a specialty and a personal story. Paul Adelstein plays Cooper Freedman, a pediatrician who marries Charlotte King. KaDee Strickland plays Charlotte King, chief of staff at St Ambrose Hospital, a urologist who practices sexology. Taye Diggs plays Sam Bennett, a cardiologist and cardiothoracic surgeon who dates Addison but cannot commit. Amy Brenneman plays Violet Turner, a psychiatrist. Caterina Scorsone plays Amelia Shepherd. Benjamin Bratt plays Jake Reilly. Brian Benben plays Sheldon Wallace. Griffin Gluck plays Mason Warner.

Tim Daly plays Pete Wilder, a naturopathic doctor and licensed herbalist who dies at the start of season 6 following a heart attack. Audra McDonald plays Naomi Bennett, a fertility and IVF doctor who was married to Sam but divorced before the show began. She returns as a guest in season 6 and reunites with Sam at the end.

The Sixth Season

On May 11, 2012, the show was renewed for a sixth season. That season was the only one without Tim Daly, and it was announced on October 19, 2012, to be the final season. The series finale aired on January 22, 2013. The show’s final arc sees Addison marry Jake and adopt Henry, while Sam reunites with Naomi after finding out she is pregnant.

The Cast Changes

The show made a notable casting choice early on. On June 29, 2007, ABC announced that Merrin Dungey, who played Naomi Bennett, would be replaced by Audra McDonald, a four-time Tony Award winner. ABC did not provide a reason for the switch. On July 11, 2007, it was revealed that KaDee Strickland had been added to the main cast as a new character. Tony Award winner Idina Menzel appeared in two episodes during the second season, alongside her then-husband Taye Diggs. Other notable guest stars included David Sutcliffe, Jayne Brook, and Josh Hopkins.

The Show’s Run

What Works

The show is at its best when it treats the personal stakes with the same weight as the medical ones. The relationships between Addison, Sam, Violet, and Cooper are the reason to keep watching. The show also handles grief and loss with a restraint that many medical dramas lack, letting characters grieve without turning the camera into a spotlight.

What Falls Short

The show is a product of its time, and some of its plotting feels dated now. The moralizing about work-life balance and the private-vs-public hospital debate can feel like set dressing for a soap opera. The season six finale, while emotional, does not fully land because the series had spent so long setting up the exact ending it delivered.

Verdict

Private Practice is not a great show, but it is a good one, and it knows exactly what it is. It is a comfortable, well-acted procedural with a strong ensemble, and it earned its place on ABC for six seasons. It does not ask for much, and it delivers on what it promises.

Grey's Anatomy · medical drama · Private Practice · Shonda Rhimes · TV Review