Private Practice was Grey’s Anatomy’s first spin-off; it came out in 2007 and ran for six seasons, ending in 2013. The show follows the life of the iconic Grey’s character Addison Montgomery as she moves on from her life in Seattle and gets a job in Los Angeles, after spending two seasons on the main show.
So, if you’re a Grey’s Anatomy fan and still haven’t seen Private Practice, you should. But if you’re not a big Grey’s watcher, here are some reasons why you should be watching this spinoff.
- You don’t need a lot of Grey’s background
Even though Private Practice was created out of Grey’s Anatomy, don’t be intimidated by the 18-season show, you don’t need to have watched it all to understand Private Practice. The only bit of background you need is in seasons two and three of Grey’s when Addison is in Seattle. She goes to L.A. in episodes 22 and 23 of season three of Grey’s which is as a backdoor pilot for the spin-off, so you could just watch that.
Now for what you need to know: In Private Practice, you will meet OB/GYN and neonatal-surgeon Dr. Addison Montgomery, who was married to neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd. Addison cheated on Derek with their med-school best friend, Dr. Mark Sloan; and Derek moved to Seattle, where he met Meredith Grey, and this is where Grey’s takes place. After a while, Addison goes looking for Derek in Seattle and stays for a couple of seasons on the show. After trying and failing to work things out with Derek, Addison goes to visit more of their med-school friends, Drs. Sam and Naomi Bennet, in Los Angeles. By the end of season three of Grey’s, she decides to move to L.A. and work at the Bennet’s private medical practice.
- A little lighter than Grey’s (and fewer seasons)
If you know anything about Grey’s Anatomy, you might know that it is almost always a slap-in-the-face of heartbreaking and sad storylines––especially because the show is set in the surgery wing of a hospital. Now, since Private Practice follows a group of clinical doctors with their own medical practice on the beach, it is a little lighter than its parent show.
Yet, the show still manages to bring forth amazing storylines that make you reflect on our world and procedural cases that are just as interesting. It keeps you on the edge of your seat while still providing audiences with a touch of humour (like Grey’s but with fewer deaths).
- Great actors make up an amazing and funny cast
Another great thing about the show is its sterling cast. The practice in Private Practice is made up of a group of fun and charming doctors, all of whom have quite interesting backgrounds and patients. The thing about this practice is that they all discuss their patients together to try to give each other a more holistic approach, and this comes with a good amount of funny commentary.
Oceanside Wellness Group is made up of Dr. Naomi Bennet (Audra McDonald), an OB/GYN and fertility specialist, Dr. Sam Bennet (Taye Diggs), an internist and cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Violet Turner (Amy Brenneman), a psychiatrist, Dr. Cooper Freed (Paul Adelstein), a pediatrician and Dr. Pete Wilder (Tim Daly), an alternative medicine specialist. Later in the series (by the end of season three to be exact), neurosurgeon, Dr. Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), one of my all-time favourite characters, is added to the team!
- Real and beautiful relationships
What makes Private Practice stand out to me is the incredible representation of realistic relationships on-screen. We see real friends making mistakes and working out their friendships; messy and crazy romantic relationships that make you laugh, cry and think about your own life; and sisterhood relationships that are just my favourite. It’s so beautiful to see women supporting each other, talking about their problems and just being present. I love watching this show to see these great relationships develop, and I feel all the emotions the characters are experiencing. It’s what makes the story so great!
- It’s on Disney+ in Canada
Finally, the main reason I’m writing this article (and rewatching the whole show) is because Private Practice is now available on Disney+.
If you are a Grey’s Anatomy fan, you might want to watch Private Practice to get ready for Dr. Montgomery’s return to Grey’s Anatomy on May 5.
Overall, I hope I’ve convinced you to add Private Practice to your watchlist (and possibly even Grey’s Anatomy)!