- Release Date: September 16, 2008
- Publisher: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
- Price: $25.99 on Amazon.com
- Rating: TV-14 DSV
- Run Time: 394 minutes
- Starring: Kate Walsh (”Grey’s Anatomy”), Tim Daly (”Wings,” “Eyes,” “The Nine”), Audra McDonald (”The Bedford Diaries”), Taye Diggs (”Day Break,” “Kevin Hill”), Paul Adelstein (”Prison Break”), Amy Brenneman (”Judging Amy”), Chris Lowell (”Veronica Mars,” “Life As We Know It”), Kadee Strickland (”The Wedding Bells”)
- Bonus Features: Kate Walsh: Practice Makes Perfect, Alternative Ensemble (behind the scenes), Two Extended Episodes, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, Commentaries
- Genre: Medical, Comedy
- Buy It on Amazon.com
Since this was a spin-off of the mega-hit “Grey’s Anatomy,” expectations were high when the show premiered last fall. While the show definitely didn’t live up to its predecessor, it is still a solid show. It could be much more than “solid” if just one simple change is made. The real Addison needs to return instead of the juvenile, Ally McBeal wannabee that has infiltrated the show.
When surgeon Dr. Addison Montgomery (Walsh) decides to simplify her life she quits her job at Seattle Grace, heads to sunny California, and takes a job at Oceanside Wellness Group, which her friends from medical school own. There she works with the newly-divorced Sam (Diggs) and Naomi (McDonald) who still have to work together despite their separation, the slightly crazy psychiatrist Violet (Brenneman), and the woman-challenged Cooper (Adelstein). She also quickly becomes interested in alternative medicine doctor Pete (Daly).
“Private Practice” can definitely be called “Grey’s Anatomy” for a slightly older audience. The characters are technically more grown up but most of them don’t act that way. I’ve already complained about Addison’s change from one of the few actual adults at Seattle Grace to pretty much a clone of Ally McBeal. The writing is definitely at fault here as Kate Walsh does everything she can with her poorly written character. Most of the other characters are at least average but Paul Adelstein’s Cooper was really the only one that stood out for me. However, even if the character development isn’t great at times the show is still good for its medical stories. If you enjoy that aspect of “Grey’s Anatomy,” you’ll still love it on “Private Practice.”
Video quality is great especially since there are a lot of shots of the California beaches and other fun locations. A Blu-ray release would have been nice for those shots alone. Audio quality is also good but the music isn’t nearly as good as it is in “Grey’s Anatomy,” which single-handily made stars out of many performers.
Since only nine episodes were produced in the first season due to the strike, the extras are pretty important to justify the price. Thankfully, bonus features are numerous and of pretty good quality. The extras are:
- Kate Walsh: Practice Makes Perfect-A 32:38 look at Kate Walsh’s life from her time as a child to her breakout success as Dr. Addison Montgomery. The feature includes interviews from the cast and crew of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice” as well as comments from her family and friends. This feature is very well done but if you aren’t a Kate Walsh fan you obviously won’t get much enjoyment out of it.
- Alternative Ensemble: Behind the Scenes of Private Practice (14:29)-Your typical behind the scenes feature with actors discussing their characters, a look at the casting process, and more.
- Deleted Scenes-8 extra scenes that don’t really add anything to the show.
- Bloopers (3:24)-None of the clips are particularly funny.
- Commentaries
- Two Extended Episodes
Even though the new Addison Montgomery gets on my nerves, “Private Practice” is still a fine show. Its premiere season wasn’t as good as some of the other phenomenal new series like “Pushing Daisies,” “Chuck,” and “The Big Bang Theory,” but it is still a solid show that most fans of medical series should enjoy. Recommended
