FROM Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes comes the hit spin-off series Private Practice.

Walsh said that Private Practice is lighter than Grey’s Anatomy and has all the drama minus the surgery.

The show premiered on Star World on July 1 and revolves around heartbroken neonatal surgeon Addison Montgomery, played by Kate Walsh.

As Montgomery, Walsh played Dr Shepherd’s (Patrick Dempsey) adulterous ex-wife.

After divorcing Dr Shepherd, she leaves Seattle for California where she works in a private clinic run by her college pal-turned-doctor Naomi (Audra McDonald).

There, she reunites with a group of med-school friends who are running the upscale Oceanside Wellness Centre.
“I feel (Private Practice) is lighter than Grey’s,” says Rhimes in a Press release. “It’s got all the drama without the surgery! Grey’s has always been high-school kids with scalpels. These people are a bit more grown-up.”

Indeed, Walsh feels that Practice is perfect.

“Grey’s Anatomy is geared towards the interns and I felt like a parent in it,” she explains.

“In Private Practice, the characters are not just prototypes from Grey’s but are all new characters at different phases in their life.”

The adult storylines struck a chord with American viewers. The premiere episode attracted 14.4 million viewers. Private Practice finished its debut season as the No.1 new show for the year among 18- to 49-year-olds.

The all-star ensemble cast includes a number of TV veterans, including Amy Brenneman (from Judging Amy), Taye Diggs (Day Break) and Tim Daly (The Nine).

“It’s a really great ensemble of actors and Shonda’s take is very fresh,” explains Daly.

“She writes characters who are flawed and funny human beings. They go through horrible things in their lives and they laugh about it. They feel more authentic to me than other characters on TV.”

Best known for his seven-season run on the sitcom Wings (the show wrapped in 1997), Daly landed the lead in the TV remake of The Fugitive and starred in the miniseries Storm of the Century.

In Private Practice, he plays alternative-medicine specialist Pete Wilder. He’s also Addison’s love interest who has had trouble committing to a relationship since his wife passed away.

Says Daly: “Pete is an interesting guy because he connects with patients. But in his private life, he has a wall up. When someone has a spouse that has died, it automatically invokes this idea that the person is mourning. But he’s not exactly in mourning for his wife. I think we’ll find out more as time goes on.”

Audra McDonald, who earned four Tony Awards for her work in the Broadway productions of Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime and A Raisin in the Sun, plays Addison’s best friend, Dr Naomi Bennett, in Private Practice.

Recently divorced from Sam (Taye Diggs), she’s a fertility specialist.

“Naomi has had a huge thing happening in her life. She’s always been the good girl, done everything right and always had the perfect life. So the divorce is uncharted territory. Her life is like sand and she’s trying to put it together but it keeps falling through her fingers,” explained McDonald about her character.

Fans of Prison Break will recognise 39-year-old Paul Adelstein for his turn as Secret Service Agent Paul Kellerman.

Cinema buffs may know him for his supporting roles in Collateral, Be Cool and the Oscar-winning epic Memoirs of a Geisha.

In Private Practice, Adelstein plays paediatrician Cooper Freedman who has a crush on his colleague, Violet (Brenneman).

Convinced that his profession makes him unable to socialise with people over the age of 12, he prefers Internet dating.

On his character, Adelstein said: “Cooper has never had a mature, intimate relationship with a woman beyond some girlfriends. And so being as close as he is to Violet is a new experience for him.”

The TV series is also supported by Diggs who played the titular character in the dramedy Kevin Hill and headlined the short-lived crime series Day Break.

On the big screen, he co-starred in the film versions of the Broadway musicals Chicago and Rent.

In Private Practice, he plays internal medicine specialist Sam Bennett who co-founded the Oceanside Wellness Centre with his ex-wife, Naomi Bennett (McDonald).

“He trusts his instincts because he’s a pretty intelligent man. Up to this point, his instincts have never failed him. He got a divorce because he doesn’t understand why he’s not feeling the way he thinks he should be feeling in a marriage,” explains Diggs of his character.

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