Grey's Spinoff: The Daly Show

Wed., Mar. 7, 2007 9:10 AM PST by Gina Serpe

McDreamy is getting some McCompetition—for his women and his mousse.

Tim Daly is the latest would-be heartthrob signing on to guest star in the special two-hour episode of Grey's Anatomy that will serve as the pilot for the series' first spinoff.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the former Wings star will appear on the May spectacular as a possible new love interest for Kate Walsh's character of Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd, around whom the spinoff, should it be picked up by ABC, will revolve.

A storyline for the new series is being kept under tight wraps. Though the venture will kick off with Addison jumping ship from Seattle Grace Hospital, the hows, whys and to wheres of the move are still unknown. The with whoms, however, are starting to be a little more clear cut.

Per the trade mag, the 51-year-old Daly has been cast as a character who is "handsome, sincere, like a McDreamy." Make that McDreamy 2.0.

Paul Adelstein, who currently stars on Prison Break and who honed his fake doctor chops with a guest-starring role on Scrubs last year, has also signed on to the two-hour season finale-cum-pilot, though details of his character are not known. However, if the other pending characters are any indication, he will more than likely find himself joining the lab coat brigade.

In addition to the twosome, the new as yet untitled series will also feature a female psychiatrist and a female fertility specialist, though those parts have not yet been cast.

Daly and Adelstein join the already-announced guest stars of Taye Diggs and Hector Elizondo, all of which are set to appear in the two-hour episode. Which of the men will turn their guest stints into starring roles, should the pilot be picked up, is unclear.

The "enhanced" episode is set to air during May sweeps and will serve as both the third season finale for Grey's Anatomy and the de facto pilot for Walsh's new show.

ABC Television Studios, the series' producer, confirmed last month that series creator Shonda Rhimes was moving forward on a spinoff centering around Walsh's character, saying that she was "producing an enhanced episode that has a potential for an afterlife."

The show will capitalize on the goodwill centered on Addison, who has emerged from being the hated third party of the show's central love triangle to being one of the most popular characters on the drama.

While plenty of guest stars are lining up to take part in the new show, none of the Grey's Anatomy regulars are expected to jump ship along with Walsh—a potentially spoilerish disappointment for fans of the budding Addison-Alex love connection.

While the finale-pilot airs in May, ABC won't have to decide whether to place the new series on its fall schedule until later in the summer.