Though it pains me to say it… the spin-offy portion of last night’s two-hour Grey’s Anatomy wasn’t just more interesting than the actual show, it may have actually been kind of good.
When I think of spin-offs, I think of Angel, Rhoda, Law & Order: Acronym or CSI: American City – shows either based on really strong characters from the mother-program or completely different shows that just adopt a similar premise. With as-yet-unnamed spin-off (possibly titled Private Practice), Grey’s is going a completely different route by introducing one of their least compelling characters into a slightly similar situation.
Kate Walsh does not seem the ideal candidate for her own spin-off, but after last night, I’m convinced she was the best choice for Grey’s. She’s not really interesting, but she’s also not really annoying. In other words, she’s the perfect character to ease into another ensemble cast. She’s been branded by Grey’s, so she brings in a very large core audience, but she doesn’t have enough personality to completely define the new show.
Aside from the obviously uninspired premise of “not-so-spring-chicken seeks change of scenery to find her place in life,” obnoxious dialogue may be the show’s biggest drawback. In one scene where Addison is on the verge of an emotional breakdown, potential romantic lead Tim Daly is there to offer her some comfort, by uttering the least appealing come-on in history: “I’m going to kiss you with tongue.” Oh yes, please, that sounds really hot. I’d like to think that someone would have the presence of mind to 86 something so vulgar, but what would a Grey’s Anatomy spin-off be without unsophisticated sexual exposition?
The smartest thing about this pilot was definitely the execution. If you want to guarantee the viewership an existing audience, cut the first episode up into 10 pieces and scatter them into a really long episode of a show they’re going to watch anyways. For anyone who’s a fan of Grey’s Anatomy, watching the pilot was unavoidable. And given how tedious the show has gotten over the last year, Addison’s trip to LA was a welcome respite from the repetitious drama at Seattle Grace.
never really watched the show – but there was a interesting WSJ article a few months ago about the economies of a classic spin-off – and how it used to be done all the time, yet now the true form of character leaving to start own show is rarely taken advantage of.
Anyway – i’m a big fan of Tim Daley – it’s a shame that everything he’s touched over the past 4 years hasn’t made it past the first 3/4 season. Shame
Tim Daly is awesome, but man has he had some work done. He’s starting to look kind of alien.
Bite your tongue, mikey! Tim Daly looks FANTASTIC. Hubba. ;)
I actually love Kate Walsh and the character of Addison. The only reason I was worried about the spinoff was that I didn’t think I would want to watch GA anymore now that Addison is gone, and I would miss Alex and Bailey. (You know it’s a bad sign when you get up to get snacks during the Christina/Meredith/Izzie parts of the show so you don’t miss any parts of the spinoff.) The spinoff cast is GREAT — love Tim Daly, love Merrin Dungey, love Paul Adelstein, and I even love Amy Brenneman. Taye Diggs was questionable, but I see him having great potential.
I think they should just ship Alex off to Los Angeles, and then I won’t have to watch Grey’s Anatomy ever again.