From Doctor to Judge

Well, that was a short break. Just nine months after Private Practice went off the air, it's been announced that its leading lady is making a return to TV. Kate Walsh will star in and executive produce Bad Judge , a comedy just picked up by NBC. According to Deadline: Bad Judge, a single-camera comedy based on an idea by Anne Heche, will revolve around a California judge "whose life on the edge is constantly in balance." It's being produced by Walsh, Heche, Jill Messick (Mean Girls), Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions and Chad Kultgen (The Incredible Burt Wonderstone). Kultgen is also writing the script.

If it seems surprising that Walsh, known mostly for her dramatic work on Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy, is partnering with some of comedy's biggest names, know this: the actress has starred in several videos for McKay and Ferrell's Funny or Die. Sure, it's been a few years since the last collaboration, but if the hilarious videos are to judge, then viewers of Bad Judge should be in for some funny nights of TV.

Walsh's return to television is particularly exciting when considering the number of female-centered shows set to air in the coming year. In the past few months, Susan Sarandon, Meg Ryan, Halle Berry and Walsh's former Grey's co-star Katherine Heigl have all announced starring turns on upcoming series. If all of these women's shows get picked up, it could be a groundbreaking year for women on TV.

Plus, it'd just be great to see Walsh back on the small screen. Grey's and Private Practice fans know she's a talented actress who deserves a long-lasting career; hopefully, Bad Judge will make it past pilot and give Walsh another hit show.