Shonda Rhimes Teases Possible ‘Private Practice’ Reboot
Shonda Rhimes, head boss and creative for a litany of Shondaland intellectual properties, revealed on Good Morning America that out of all the IPs currently off the air, she would like to revive ABC‘s Private Practice the most.
The Grey’s Anatomy spin-off, which originally aired for 6 seasons from 2007 to 2013 on ABC, saw Kate Walsh’s Addison transfer from Seattle to L.A. The series also featured actors Tim Daly, Audra McDonald, Paul Adelstein, KaDee Strickland, Chris Lowell, Taye Diggs, and Amy Brenneman.
“I actually feel like we didn’t finish telling our stories on Private Practice,” Rhimes told GMA while promoting her new Bridgerton book. “We had so many more stories we could tell. I just felt like we had so much more to say with those characters and so much further to go, and that also felt like a show that had endless possibility.”
Walsh’s popularity with Grey‘s fans has never wavered, as the actress, alongside series regular Caterina Scorsone, have since become recurring guests for the flagship series. The latter’s character, Amelia Shepherd (sister of Patrick Dempsey’s Derek), was originally introduced during the third season of Private Practice. Meanwhile, Addison is a gynecological and neonatal surgeon, as well as the former wife of Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey).
Rhimes left ABC in 2017 for a multi-million dollar deal at Netflix, covering her production company Shondaland and her producing partner Betsy Beers. The deal with Netflix was extended in 2021 to include feature films, gaming, and virtual reality content.
Following the announcement of Private Practice‘s cancellation back in 2013, Rhimes called the decision “heartbreaking,” adding, “There was a lot of discussion and debate but, in the end, the guys at the network and the studio and I all decided that Private Practice was reaching its finish line.”
