Private Practice (TV series)

Did You Know?

• The backdoor pilot for Private Practice averaged 21 million viewers, surpassing Grey's Anatomy's third season average of 19.1 million viewers per episode.
• Tony Award winner Idina Menzel appeared in two episodes during the second season, alongside her then-husband Taye Diggs.

Series overview

The first season follows Addison's move from Seattle to Los Angeles and her adjustment to Oceanside Wellness Group, a co-op private practice. Her new co-workers include best friend Naomi Bennett, a fertility specialist; Naomi's ex-husband Sam Bennett, an internal medicine specialist; psychiatrist Violet Turner; pediatrician Cooper Freedman; alternative medicine specialist Pete Wilder; and receptionist Dell Parker. Charlotte King, chief of staff at St. Ambrose Hospital, works with the practice through Sam and her sexual relationship with Cooper.

The second season begins with financial troubles threatening the practice. Naomi reveals unpaid debt, leading to a vote that makes Addison the new boss. A competing practice, Pacific Wellcare, opens on the fourth floor, run by Charlotte, causing tension. Sam and Naomi realize they can no longer be friends, while Cooper and Charlotte's romance deepens.

Addison dates police officer Kevin Nelson but ends the relationship, then falls for cardiovascular surgeon Noah Barnes, who is married and expecting a child. Addison's brother Archer Montgomery makes sporadic appearances, causing trouble; he is diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor later found to be parasites. Addison seeks help from her ex-husband, neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd, who successfully treats Archer. Violet begins dating both Sheldon, who works for Pacific Wellcare, and Pete.

Cast

Kate Walsh portrays Addison Montgomery, a double board-certified OB/GYN specializing in maternal-fetal medicine. Tim Daly played Pete Wilder (seasons 1–5), a naturopathic doctor who marries Violet Turner and dies of a heart attack at the start of season 6. Audra McDonald played Naomi Bennett (seasons 1–4, guest season 6), a fertility doctor who reunites with ex-husband Sam at the end of the show. Paul Adelstein plays Cooper Freedman, a pediatrician who marries Charlotte King and has triplets and a son, Mason.

KaDee Strickland plays Charlotte King, chief of staff at St. Ambrose Hospital, who practices urology and sexology. Chris Lowell played Dell Parker (seasons 1–3), the receptionist and nurse training as a midwife, who dies in a car crash. Taye Diggs plays Sam Bennett, a cardiologist who remarries Naomi in the final episode. Amy Brenneman plays Violet Turner, a psychiatrist who marries Pete.

Brian Benben played Sheldon Wallace (recurring season 2, main seasons 4–6), a psychiatrist who develops cancer in the final season.

Production

On February 21, 2007, ABC was reported to be developing a Grey's Anatomy spin-off centered on Kate Walsh's character. A two-hour episode of Grey's Anatomy aired on May 3, 2007, as a backdoor pilot, directed by Michael Grossman. Merrin Dungey was originally cast as Naomi Bennett but was replaced by Audra McDonald on June 29, 2007. KaDee Strickland was added to the main cast on July 11, 2007. Idina Menzel appeared in two episodes during the second season. Exterior shots and some outdoor storylines were filmed in Santa Monica, California; the Oceanside Wellness Group building is at the corner of 4th and Wilshire. Characters Addison and Sam are depicted living in beachfront houses in Malibu.

Broadcast

Private Practice was introduced to audiences on May 3, 2007, through a two-part Grey's Anatomy episode that drew 21 million viewers. The spin-off was confirmed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show two days later, joining ABC's fall schedule. Its standalone premiere on September 26, 2007, attracted 14.41 million viewers, winning its time slot. In mid-2009, the series shifted to Thursdays at 10:00 PM, following Grey's Anatomy. Reruns entered weekend syndication on September 15, 2012.