Several TV sites and message boards have broached the (hypothetical) topic of Shonda Rhimes and the producers of Grey's Anatomy bringing back Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) as permanent fixture at Seattle Grace Hospital again.

One theory behind such a move is that the spin-off, Private Practice, isn't called "Addison's Practice," and that she may actually be better suited to Seattle Grace. Another theory is that Private Practice is destined to go in the tank.

If Private Practice were to go under, we can't see why they wouldn't want Addison back on Grey's Anatomy, but seeing as Private Practice was doing fairly well ratings-wise (what you may think of it personally is another matter), it's unlikely.

Many fans believe Addison's IQ dropped in half the minute she signed on at the Oceanside Wellness Center and loved her Grey's Anatomy cameo this spring. But Private Practice still had some success in its first year, at least on paper.

One unanswered question is whether it can recover from lost momentum after a terribly long hiatus. Not only did Private Practice not return from the writers' strike in spring, not a single repeat aired during or since. What does the future hold?

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.