Reception
Responding to criticism of the pilot episode, president of ABC Entertainment Steve McPherson agreed that the episode had spent too much time introducing the characters, and that the future season needed stronger stories. ABC showed confidence in Private Practice by scheduling it at 9pm Wednesdays, hoping it would bolster a weak night for ratings. Creator Shonda Rhimes has commented that the backdoor pilot episode "was a little bit of a high wire act... What I learned in writing it was that the tone was a little bit lighter. Grey's in the best way is sort of high school with scalpels. Private Practice is more grown up." However, USA Today's Robert Bianco was highly critical of the childish nature of Private Practice's characters, writing that: "instead of maturing, Kate Walsh's Addison Montgomery seems to be regressing. A woman who was once a tough, smart, flawed, sexy adult has turned into a fluttering, indecisive sorority girl." Bianco did opine that the first season opener was an improvement on the pilot that preceded it, and although he stated that the supporting cast were "ill-used", he commented: "Just consider the talent here: Amy Brenneman, Taye Diggs, Audra McDonald, Paul Adelstein and Tim Daly (who really deserves a hit, after being so good in so many excellent flops). These are people who have proved they can handle grown-up material. How about letting them practice?" Rhimes believes that the show "found its footing" in the second season, with the characters more grounded and focus increased on medical and ethical issues. Actress Kate Walsh commented: "Part of what happened this year is the show got a lot clearer about what it is. It felt more organic about the way cases came up." However, at the end of the second season, Bianco opined: "It's a better show than it used to be, but considering the talents in that cast, it's still not nearly good enough."
Read more about this topic: Crime And Punishment (Private Practice)
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