Shonda Rhimes and the Private Practice Cast Celebrate 100!
Private Practice
When Private Practice spun off from Grey's Anatomy in 2007, few thought it would make it this long — including the brain trust behind the series — but on Tuesday night, the ABC medical drama will hit 100 episodes, a rare feat in television these days.
Private Practice Gallery: The cast shares their favorite episodes
"For me, I think it's amazing that something that spun off of something ended up being so successful," creator Shonda Rhimes tells TVGuide.com. "I'm trying to think of other shows that were spun off that weren't done by Norman Lear, frankly, that lasted this long. It's exciting to me that we're able to do a show that's not a procedural, that's not a comedy, that's a medical show, but it's really about the people who work here, and have it be something that audiences want to watch for 100 episodes."
Rhimes' producing partner, Betsy Beers, is quick to recall the launch of Private, noting that the stigma of being a spin-off was almost like a curse, with audiences always saying it'll never live up to the flagship series. "I feel really proud of the fact that this became its own show, it actually had its own identity from the beginning," she says. "It had a different personality from the show from which it came."
Private Practice Postmortem: Who did Addison choose? What happened to Pete?
Though colorful, the 100th episode, at its core, is a wake for Pete (Tim Daly), who perished during the season premiere after suffering a heart attack while on a run. But the 100th won't be all tears. "It's completely different from a normal wake," Amy Brenneman tells us. "In his will, which Violet does not know until she reads it upon his death, he wanted a big party and celebration of his life, and we have to dress up in Balinese outfits because he likes Bali and karaoke. It's very specific what he wants, and Violet is deeply resentful, but she has to pull this party off."
Speaking of parties, TVGuide.com hit the set of Private Practice as the cast, crew and writing team celebrated the 100th episode. In our special Private Practice gallery, the cast shares their favorite episodes, and what it means to hit 100. For her money, "Did You Hear What Happened to Charlotte King?" is Rhimes' favorite. "I feel like I changed as a writer writing that episode."
Check out the gallery here and hit the comments with your favorite episodes!
Private Practice airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC.