Why It’s Time for Private Practice to Scrub Back In

Once upon a time, a little spinoff named Private Practice never got the chance to fully shine. Well, giving a quality show a second chance is never too late.

We’re not the only ones who feel the Kate Walsh-led series deserves another shot. The actress has expressed great interest in returning to the role of Addison Montgomery.

It’s been over a decade since the Finale of Private Practice, and in TV years, that’s more than a century — unless you ask loyal and faithful fans of the show who still rewatch it.

(ABC/RICHARD CARTWRIGHT)

If you’ve turned on a TV in the last, let’s say, five minutes, you probably ran into a medical drama with an attractive cast running around a hospital.

CBS welcomes any and every show with a scalpel, having premiered and renewed the Morris Chestnut-led medical mystery series Watson.

Medical procedurals are more prevalent on broadcast channels than ever before. Sadly, ABC has not had as much success with some of its newer original medical shows.

ABC Has Had Some Recent Misses with Its Programming, but It Already Has a Stallion of a Series Waiting in Its Stables

It’s funny that we so often shout for networks and streamers to give us new, original material that is not based on anything.

However, once we get it, we shred it into pieces if it doesn’t hit every mark of enjoyment.

(ABC/COLLEEN HAYES)

In ABC’s case, the network tried with the Joshua Jackson-led series Doctor Odyssey. Hey, if you like it, more power to you. Personally, I couldn’t get past the first few episodes.

The series was too cheesy for me and stretched the bounds of reality with the antics of a medical team on a cruise ship. It was a fun idea, but sometimes, it’s better to go back to the basics.

Luckily for ABC, the broadcast channel already has a medical drama with a built-in fan base.

It has never been a better time to bring back a show like Private Practice that was only getting warmed up when the series met its unfortunate end.

Private Practice Had a Solid Six-Season Run and Would Have Likely Continued Had Kate Walsh Not Left

At the show’s start, people could not wait to jump on board with a Grey’s Anatomy spinoff. They were practically clamoring for more of the Shondaland show.

(ABC)

It showed in the series’ early seasons with a strong start that is not uncommon for a spinoff of a popular show.

With that initial uptick comes the expected decline because every show will always lose a handful of viewers who were interested but didn’t get hooked.

Private Practice saw moderate but consistent numbers throughout its run. Midway through the six-season airing, the series saw its highest numbers, ranging from six to eight million weekly viewers.

However, the farther the show got from Grey’s Anatomy, the more audiences dropped off and returned to the Ellen Pompeo-led show.

Ironically, that is when critics began praising the show’s efforts in creating more compelling storylines that felt exclusive to Private Practice.

Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, and before long, Kate Walsh announced that she was leaving the series.

(Stéphanie Branchu/Netflix © 2021)

Sure, the show could have gone on, but her character was the backbone of a show that hadn’t even been airing for a decade.

Walsh’s departure would have been too big a blow, and the network would have lost money if it had kept going.

Thankfully, Kate Walsh has recently changed her tune — much to the delight of Addison Montgomery fans everywhere.

It’s A Great Time for Kate Walsh and the Gang to Return as Long as ABC Plays Their Cards Right

In case you hadn’t heard, Kate Walsh told EXTRATV, “Get the gang back together. I mean, most of us are still on a group text anyway.”

Did you hear that, Private Practice fans? Not only does Kate want to return to the Seaside Health & Wellness Center, but apparently, most of the cast is on board.

(ABC)

While nothing is currently in the works, at least the message is out there and has been mirrored by series creator Shonda Rhimes herself.

However, if the show were to come back, they would need to treat it as they did with Private Practice Season 1, meaning a partial season order of eight to twelve episodes.

On top of that, the show would be far better suited to reintroduce itself to audiences through ABC’s streaming platform, Hulu.

While Kate Walsh is already slated for another upcoming series, ABC has proven that it can accommodate a busy actress’ schedule.

Though the broadcast channel suffered with Doctor Odyssey, it had monumental success with Kaitlin Olson‘s High Potential despite the actress still being a main character on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

The funny thing is, if we made enough of a ruckus, there is a good chance the powers that be may just hear our cries for a little nostalgia with our weekly medical mysteries.

(ABC)

Would you be excited about a Private Practice reboot?

Do you think a reboot would do better on broadcast channels or on a streaming app?

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