The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/65423
The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, May 11, 2012 2 coverstory By Dee Wright TV Media M put ourselves in the shoes of our favorite characters -- we feel their joy and pain as if we've been friends, family and lovers for our whole lives. When rumors circulate that one or a few of these friends could be getting hurt -- or worse, killed -- in the near fu- ture, we can't help but feel loss and remorse. ABC's hit medical series any of us get person- ally invested in the series we watch. We Hit hospital fi nales promise big changes Rhimes time Grace and joined her friend Naomi's practice in Santa Monica, Calif. The Season 3 fi- nale of "Practice" left Dr. Vio- let Turner having her baby stolen from her -- literally cut from her body -- and last sea- son ended with Pete having a heart attack. Ellen Pompeo stars in "Grey's Anatomy" "Private Practice" and its par- ent series "Grey's Anatomy" finish their seasons this week, and the entertainment world is abuzz with rumors about how the tear-jerking shows will end. on Tuesday, May 15, and fans are waiting with bated breath about how the episode will play out. The episode title, "Gone Baby Gone" has many speculating that Amelia (Ca- terina Scorsone) may lose the baby she's carrying, or that Addison will exhaust the last of her options to become a mother. Sam struggles to cope with the impending death of Mason's mother, Eri- ca, which would leave him as the sole caregiver for Mason. In a recent special, creator Rhimes dismissed the rumor that Sam may get fatally shot. "There are a lot of twists and turns in that finale," she told TVLine at an Academy of Television Arts & Sciences event, "An Evening with Shonda Rhimes and Friends." "There's just a real sense of Creator and series writer Shonda Rhimes is known for her heart-wrenching plot lines and genuine characters who reach the audience in a way that many never thought possible. "Private Practice" closes growth for our characters, a sense of change. A lot of things come to a head that I don't know people were nec- essarily expecting to, and that's exciting. There are some real heartbreaking mo- ments and some surprises. There are many develop- ments romantically." The doctors at Seattle Grace finish their season two days later when "Grey's Anat- omy" wraps up on Thursday, May 17. That episode title, "Flight", has stirred up even more rumors, and photos from the tapings show sever- al characters at an airport, spawning discussion of a tragic plane crash. Rhimes recently added fuel to the fire when she revealed that at least one of the cast members will not be return- ing for Season 9. According to WetPaint.com, eight of the main actors -- including Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey and Sandra Oh -- are at the ends of their contracts, and there's no word yet about any new deals. One of the show's storylines has several of the doctors applying for fellow- ships around the country, which leaves the gates open for their departure or return. Dempsey stated in an inter- view with the Italian "Vanity Fair" that Season 8 will be his last appearance on the With the departure of at least one of the major players on "Grey's," there will likely be some new cast members joining the roster for next sea- son. "Practice" has had good luck with its cast change this season -- Audra McDonald did not return to her role as Naomi Bennett, and Benja- min Bratt stepped onto the set as Addison's new love in- terest, Jake. "Grey's" set, but the fate of the other players is still up in the air. "It's gonna be my last. I do not know what's going to happen to the other charac- ters, but for me it's done," he said. "Leaving will be bitter- sweet because it has been a great part of my life. But I can't see me doing it any- more." Rhimes has a knack for in- tense finales. "Private Prac- tice" itself stemmed from the third season finale of "Grey's Anatomy," when Dr. Addison Montgomery left Seattle Hospital dramas aren't ex- actly a new idea -- "ER" and "Chicago Hope" were both on TV for several years before Rhimes penned her first tele- play. Though "Mercy," "Trau- ma" and "Mental" weren't on the radar for long, net- works have produced many major series about doctors and the patients they treat. "Scrubs," "Doogie Howser," "MASH" and "House" have blurred the lines of drama and comedy in dire medical situations, but "Grey's" and "Practice" are frequently causing viewers to reach for the tissues. "Grey's" started in 2005 and followed a group of inex- perienced interns as they started their new medical ro- tations at Seattle Grace hospi- tal. Since then, the interns have grown into full-fledged doctors and hit pretty much every speed bump along the way. This season alone has seen custody battles, an un- planned pregnancy and the deaths of loved ones -- and that's just the tip of the ice- berg. The medicine-based plots have included an explo- sion, spinal surgeries, unprec- edented transplants and the separation of conjoined twins. Chirstopher's Coins 2 x 2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: What was the name of the series that Betty White and Marie Osmond starred in together? A: The series you're thinking of was called "Maybe This Time," which debuted in 1995 but only lasted one season. Marie Osmond starred as Julia Wallace, a recently di- vorced mother who runs a bakery with the help of her moth- er Shirley (played by Betty White) and daughter Gracie (Ash- ley Johnson, who's now better known for her voice work on shows like "Ben 10" and "Recess"). Most of the plot revolved around Julia's reluctance to re- turn to the dating scene after her divorce, and her frequently married (and widowed) mother's attempts to get her back in the game. Despite the long-term fame of its two main stars, these days the show seems more notable for supporting the bud- ding career of Craig Ferguson, a decade before his late-night fame and a year before his star-making turn on "The Drew Carey Show." Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. It also provided bad-boy comedian Dane Cook with his very first screen role. He was brought on partway through the first season as a young employee of the bakery with fre- quent dating trouble of his own. The family-friendly sitcom represents an odd entry on the resume of the otherwise adult-oriented comic. A/Krazy Tom's 2 x 3