Unfortunately, Private Practice never reached the great heights of its predecessor Grey's Anatomy. Those are pretty big Crocs to fill. Still, it did well enough to last six seasons, with Kate Walsh's character as the lead. Addison Montgomery was such a beloved character on Grey's that Shonda Rhimes, the show's creator, wrote her a spinoff. In a 2007 TV Guide interview, Kate admitted to being quite surprised by the new show offer: "I was shocked and excited and mostly just totally blown away."

Whispers of the end of Private Practice began circulating when rumors of Kate Walsh leaving started to spread. After announcing she was officially out, Shonda also called it quits for the show. In a tweeted-out announcement, Shonda said, "There was a lot of discussion and debate but, in the end, the guys at the network and the studio and I all decided that Private Practice was reaching its finish line."

Because everyone knew Season 6 was possibly its last, it was called the "no-holds-barred season." Sadly not even that couldn't increase the viewership. Regarding her exit from the show, Kate told TV Guide, "Between Grey's and this show, it's been eight and a half seasons, and as awesome as it is and as much as I love every single person I work with from tip to tail, it just feels like I've got to see what's next for me."