Real Reason Private Practice Never Stood A Chance To Dethrone Grey's Anatomy
The immaturity was through the roof.
While audiences today are spoiled with many examples of great spinoffs, such as Young Sheldon, House of the Dragon, and Better Call Saul, not every show based on something already out there hits the mark for audiences in the same way.
Private Practice, for example, never did. It's hard to call it a total flop, considering all six seasons it aired on ABC, but the show never managed to repeat the success of the original Grey's Anatomy. Fans think they know exactly why this happened.
No matter how many cringe-worthy storylines Grey's Anatomy suggested from the beginning of the show, Shonda Rhimes' team made sure they looked real and effortless. The drama involving some pretty struggling, tired, and overworked people in their 20s usually ends up being petty and messy, and it's easy to believe.
With Private Practice, things were different from the start. Not only did the writers manage to make the show's main character, Dr. Addison Montgomery, completely unlikable, but they also tried to work on Private Practice with the same formula that was used on Grey's.
It turns out that the thoughts and actions of 20-somethings are not a good look for pretty established 30-somethings. The characters, who should have a completely different perspective on life and who one would expect to be more mature, sometimes acted even worse than the residents of Seattle Grace Hospital.
In addition, many viewers believe that this is the reason why older viewers also drop Grey's Anatomy after a few seasons. The immaturity issues are less severe, but you can clearly see a pattern of many characters being stuck in a loop of the same decisions they can't break out of.
If you are interested in giving Private Practice a try, you can stream it on Hulu or Disney Plus.
Although the show has been picked up for season 20 on ABC, the date of Grey's Anatomy's comeback remains unknown at this time due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Stay tuned for further news and updates!