ABC Confirms Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice Crossover

There may be some unanswered questions for fans of Grey’s Anatomy (such as WILL Patrick Dempsey be back for season nine), but one thing is confirmed- fans can expect another crossover with Grey’s spin-off Private Practice.

According to TV Guide, the crossover will begin on Grey’s Anatomy when Private Practice’s Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) shows up in Seattle to ask big brother Derek (Dempsey) and sister-in-law Lexie (Chyler Leigh) to help treat a patient, Erica (A.J. Langer). Erica has a life threatening ailment that only the Grey’s team is equipped to deal with.

Derek and Lexie will then appear in the next episode of Private Practice to treat the patient. Shockingly though, they will stay put in Seattle as the Private Practice crew head over to the Grey’s hospital instead. Cooper (Paul Adelstein), Charlotte (Kadee Strickland) and Erica’s son Mason (Griffin Gluck) will stay at the hospital while Erica is given treatment.

The cross over will air Feb. 16 during February sweeps. This is not the first cross over for the show. In May 2007, Grey’s Anatomy was used as a pilot for the spin off series. Nothing like this had happened to such a degree prior to the two-hour Grey’s special. Private Practice is one of the most successful spin off shows in recent years. It doesn’t hurt that it currently airs immediately after Grey’s Anatomy.

April 5 Private Practice moves to its new time slot. Since the show is such a success, ABC needs the Thursday night time slot following Grey’s for new shows. The real question is will Private Practice be able to stand on its own feet at 10/9c on Tuesdays, or do people just watch it because they already watch Grey‘s Anatomy before Private Practice? Time will tell how loyal fans of the show are.