TCA Sneek Peek - Private Practice

Can I geek out for a second here?  KATE WALSH TALKED TO ME!!!  Score!  That’s right, here at Live From L.A. we’re not above bragging when we land an exclusive interview with a gorgeous star.  I mean, KATE WALSH, people!  KATE. WALSH.

Seriously, I felt like I was in a sexy Cadillac commercial or something.  Man, I was so glad I had brushed my teeth after I ate that reuben sandwich at lunch. 

But I’m getting ahead of myself.  Here’s the set-up:

Private Practice opens shop again this fall, and series creator Shonda Rhimes, Kate Walsh, and the cast were all on hand at the annual Television Critics Association meeting this week to dish about what to expect from the drama this season.  They’re not exactly hitting the reset button, but Rhimes and company did promise a greater emphasis on moral and ethical dilemmas, more surgery, and a careful mix of medicine and romance.  More good stuff, in other words. 

“I’ve been thrilled with the scripts, they’re really tight,” Walsh said to me, Dave Campbell, as I stared at her in barely concealed awe.  “The characters and their relationships really seamlessly blend and meld and relate to the medical cases.”

Walsh is excited about “getting her gloves bloody” and doing more surgery this season, and is also excited about the direction her character is heading.

Addison will still be the tough alpha female character that viewers loved on Grey’s Anatomy.  “The kind of bossy Addison is back, which is fun,” she said.  “Her strength is really delineated and the vulnerability is there as well.  But it’s a new vulnerability for her that we never really got into in Grey’s.”

“We get to see a lot more of her personal life and her personal struggles coming out.  And it feels organic and real,” Walsh said.  “I’m just thrilled with where the character is going.”

“It sort of dawned on me the first couple days that we were shooting that Addison’s never been happy personally.  She’s never had anybody that really  likes her [on Grey’s] … and now there’s actually some kind of fun and love and romance and it’s really fun to play with that.”

   

Shonda Rhimes said that the new season of Private Practice would be fresh and accessible to new viewers, but would build on the foundation established in the truncated first season, which was cut short after just nine episodes by the writers' strike.   Although the show is a spin-off from Grey’s Anatomy, you definitely don’t need to be a Grey’s expert to jump on board – the show stands on its own merits and is designed to be new-user friendly.

In addition to medical cases that challenge the ethical and moral core of the characters, this season will also explore the triangle between Sam and Naomi Bennett and Dell, the only male midwife on television.  Come to think of it, Dell’s the only midwife on television, period.

The deliciously ambivalent relationship between Addison and Tim Daly’s character Dr. Peter Wilder will continue, as will the blossoming romance between Southern belle Charlotte and Cooper, much to Violet’s chagrin.  And hey, if you don’t know who any of these characters are, not to worry – the new season will ease new viewers into the world of the Oceanside Wellness Center.

After a long hiatus, Rhimes and her cast have recharged their batteries, filled up their tanks, or whatever metaphor you’d care to use.  The strike-imposed pause gave them all a chance to think about the strengths of the show and where they wanted to take Private Practice when it returned.  They all seemed very excited about getting back to work and the tight new focus of the show.

“I really feel like the show has found its voice, ” Walsh told me.  I was listening, I really was, but all I could hear was my heart beating in my ears. Thank God I brought a tape recorder with me.

--Dave Campbell

Comments

[Jen]

Nice article. We Walshaholics appreciate it ! Looking forward to the 2nd season of PrP.

[Mike]

I envy you man. She is stunning ! Wonder if she's gonna be making more Caddy ads ?

[HappyFan]

Thank you for that article!
I can't wait for Private Practice! Did you get to talk to Tim Daly too? If I met him I would react the same way you did with Kate. Well actually I'd react the same way if I met Kate, too. Or Taye. Or Audra. Or Paul. Or Amy. Or Chris. They all seem like such a cool cast.
Great job with the article.

[Jamie]

Thanks.
What a great article. I am so looking forward to the new season of PrP.

You are so lucky you got to meet Kate. If I met her I think I would pass out. Love Kate!