Grey ‘s Anatomy has proven an unlikely success. While medical dramas are one of Tv’s best bets in the formula department, Grey’s Anatomy seemed from the beginning a pale and banal iteration of the formula. A cast that seemed cut from the fashion section of an old Sears catalogue, and stories filled with hyperbolic doctors screaming codes and demanding many cc’s of mysterious substances. Oh, and lots of that ‘paddle’ thing as well. But it wasn’t long before the serious caught on, and for good reason, the writing is, at its core, very story motivated, and behind those pretty faces are solid actors that emote as well they vogue.

After achieving success at such a fast speed, however, it is a questionable move the series is making trying for a spinoff. First, they are planning on extracting one of their favored characters from the shows dramatic dynamic, Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery (played brilliantly by Kate Walsh.) This will no doubt leave a huge hole in the dramatic fabric of the show. Next, in setting up the spin off, they are in a sense using the opposite formula. Instead of filling the cast with talented ‘barely knowns’, they are padding out Walsh with a host of well know actors including Tim Daly, Chris Lowell, and Taye Diggs.

Probably the biggest risk involved in this endeavor is the impact on Grey’s Anatomy itself. Were the spin off to fail, simply shifting Walsh back to Grey’s Anatomy might not be such an easy task. Walsh has been so central to the dramatic balance of Grey’s Anatomy that the writers will surely have to accommodate for her absence by creating a new equilibrium on the show. This could, in fact, throw Grey’s Anatomy off as well. Enough that the show itself could suffer and eventually fail.

It is impossible to say whether any of this will happen, but one thing seems for sure. Year three of Grey’s Anatomy seems to be just too soon to have a Spin Off.