Posted by Dustin on 07.19.2007 at 12:51 pm

PRODUCTION BEGINS IN LOS ANGELES ON NEW ABC DRAMA SERIES “PRIVATE PRACTICE,” FROM SHONDA RHIMES, CREATOR OF “GREY’S ANATOMY”

Production has begun in Los Angeles on “Private Practice,” a new drama from the creator of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Shonda Rhimes, featuring an all-star cast that includes Kate Walsh, Tim Daly, Taye Diggs, Amy Brenneman and Audra McDonald. The series will air Wednesdays (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) this fall on the ABC Television Network.

From Shonda Rhimes, the Golden Globe-winning creator of “Grey’s Anatomy,” comes a story about finding a way to begin the rest of your life. Addison Forbes Montgomery is a renowned surgeon. Having left behind Seattle Grace Hospital, a broken marriage with Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd and her torn relationship with Mark “McSteamy” Sloan, Addison moves to Los Angeles for sunnier weather and happier possibilities.

Addison reunites with her friends from medical school, Naomi and Sam Bennett, joining them at their chic, co-op, Oceanside Wellness Center in Santa Monica. Naomi, a fertility and hormone specialist and majority owner of the clinic, and Sam, an internist whose self-help books have made him the “common man’s medical guru,” are newly divorced. They co-exist for the sake of their teenaged daughter, Maya, and their medical practice, but the relationship is hardly amicable.

The center’s resident pediatrician is Dr. Cooper Freedman, whose success in his profession belies his rocky personal life. He’s a serial internet dater who is always attracted to the wrong woman. Most dates end badly for him; some even end in petty or grand theft.

Cooper finds solace and counsel in his closest friend, co-op psychiatrist Dr. Violet Turner – but she’s no luckier in love. Able to deftly advise her patients in their relationships, she’s intense, determined, and unwilling to let outsiders see the obvious cracks in her veneer. Inside, Violet is crumbling after her recent breakup with an ex who has already moved on and married.

Dr. Pete Wilder is the alternative medicine specialist at the practice. Attractive and assured, Pete is a “catch” by any standard; in fact, he’s already caught Addison’s eye, and he, hers. Though the chemistry is immediate and palpable between the two, Pete’s cockiness and confidence conceal a man still reeling from his wife’s tragic passing eight years beforehand, a man who has been unable to truly connect with a woman since. With Addison starting anew in Los Angeles, Pete may chance new beginnings in his own life.

Witness to it all at the co-op is the receptionist, William Dell Parker. Young, quirky and confident, Dell may seem like an easygoing surfer, but he’s deeply interested in the medical profession. In Addison he sees the chance to have a mentor and pursue his dream — becoming a midwife.

Coming in direct conflict with the co-op doctors is Charlotte King, the Chief of Staff of the nearby hospital. A southerner who does not suffer fools gladly, Charlotte believes that the co-op doctors’ patient care methods are unorthodox and, therefore, inferior to her own.

For Addison, an old friend’s invitation brings her to a new city and a new life full of promise. At Oceanside Wellness Center, the doctors are dedicated pros; it’s their private lives that need a little practice.

“Private Practice” stars Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery, Tim Daly as Dr. Pete Wilder, Audra McDonald as Dr. Naomi Bennett, Paul Adelstein as Dr. Cooper Freedman, KaDee Strickland as Dr. Charlotte King, Chris Lowell as William Dell Parker, with Taye Diggs as Dr. Sam Bennett and Amy Brenneman as Dr. Violet Turner.

“Private Practice” was created and is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge”). Betsy Beers (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Casanova”), Marti Noxon (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Mark Gordon (“The Hoax,” “Saving Private Ryan”) and Mark Tinker (“St. Elsewhere,” “NYPD Blue”) are executive producers. “Private Practice” is an ABC Studios Production.