Out of Practice

- Season 1

(2005)

Stockard Channing, Henry Winkler, Christopher Gorham, Paula Marshall, Ty Burrell and Jennifer Tilly Star in "Out of Practice," a new comedy series about a family of physicians who share the same profession but have little else in common.

The Barnes family bands together to help Ben get over his broken marriage.

When their coworkers discover Stewart's dating Crystal, Lydia decides to throw a party to prove that she's moved on, but disaster ensues when Oliver scores her a date with a gigolo.

Lydia is jealous of stewart because Monty, the family dog, likes him more.

When Oliver is forced out of his fabulous apartment, he moves in with his brother Ben.

Ben is forced to "break-up" with his mother when he realizes she is using him to avoid dating again.

Stewart invites Benjamin to come see a fight on Pay-per-View. Ben already has other plans. He and Oliver are going to a pasta making class to meet single women. Stewart has bad experience from such classes and tries to get Ben to drop the idea. But he doesn't have to: Oliver has already, while getting coffee for their mother, met someone and cancels his participation to the pasta making class. So it's Ben at Stewart's at seven - a boys night. Except that things end up quite a bit shuffled...

Stewart and Lydia's divorce is only 3 days away from being official. But Stewart and Lydia's oldest friends Janice Meyer and his fiancée have their wedding before that. And Crystal is out of town (Nooooo! No Jennifer Tilly in this episode!), so Stewart and Lydia have no excuse not to go. The siblings are coming too, but Oliver has a problem: he needs a date. Even though he has a new girlfriend, Holly. The fact is, Oliver has only had three dates with Holly and he and Janice used to be together for a whole year, so he needs something that will show her that he's moved ...

The siblings and their parents gather together for Thanksgiving (Crystal is out of town). Then they start to reminisce about the past Thanksgiving family get-togethers, before Stewart and Lydia's divorce: 1 year ago, 6 years ago, 7 years ago... and 1 year ago, again.

Benjamin, Oliver and Regina warm up to Crystal, which does not sit well with Lydia. Overcome with jealousy, hatches a plan. She announces that she is baking a cake to their ex-housekeeper Maria, and is planning to go see her now that it's Maria's 80th birthday. Then she manipulates the siblings so that they will feel guilty should they not come to Maria's birthday, after all that Maria did for them over the years. Lydia also invites Stewart, leaving Crystal out of the picture. Also, the others learn that Oliver asked Crystal out after giving her the implants, and she ...

Benjamin, Oliver and Regina are not quite satisfied of the Christmas they've just endured. Also, in general, their social life is quite dry. So Oliver suggests that they have a "really big, totally wild New Year's party". And the goal is to score. Oliver is voicing out his anticipation when their mother walks in and hears about the party. Luckily for the siblings, Lydia starts to leave, announcing that she is not going to ruin their party - while opening the door only to find Stewart and Crystal there about to enter. So now Stewart knows about the party and wants to ...

Benjamin and Lydia's mother-and-son time at the family cottage goes overlong because of snowing. They don't manage to leave before Stewart and Crystal arrive, bringing the newly single Regina, Oliver and his on-off girlfriend, Trisha, with them. Then comes the revelation: Benjamin had sex with Trisha while she and Oliver were on a break. Benjamin and Trisha decide not to let Oliver know about their one night stand. Then Benjamin and Oliver accidentally find a pregnancy test that belongs to one of the women. But which one?

Oliver sees Benjamin's neighbor Debbie at the café and asks him to put out a little word for him. Ben thinks Debbie is not Oliver's style. He doesn't want Debbie for himself, it's just that Debbie already has a boyfriend. But then Debbie notices Ben and comes to say hello. She mentions that her blind date the previous evening was a disaster, which forces Ben to admit that he was lying to protect Debbie - from Oliver. Oliver is upset and claims he really is looking for a steady relationship. So Oliver gets to go for a date with Debbie, with Ben's blessing. Stewart asks...

It's Valentine's Day. Oliver is saving his energy for a hot evening with Lola, and feels the need to tell all about his plans to Benjamin and Regina. Regina has no date. Stewart and Crystal show up, over-excited about Valentine's Day. Lydia happens to stop by, and tells Stewart that their annual Valentine's Day reservation needs to be confirmed or canceled. Since she has no date, she's willing to make way for Crystal. But they have other plans. So when Oliver hears that she's about to cancel the reservation, he says that he'll go. Lydia does not realize this excludes ...

Stewart has good news for the siblings: his housekeeper Carmen has found another day open and offers her services to them. Since Benjamin has been the default housekeeper, he gladly accepts. Lydia asks if either one of her sons would meet her for drinks in the evening. Oliver chooses Benjamin. Benjamin snaps: he's tired of cooking, cleaning and taking out the trash. While looking for the garbage chute, Oliver overhears a young woman talking to her mobile. The woman is talking to her mother and mentions that she is a bartender at Giorgio's. She also tells that if her ...

The announcement of The Doctor of the Year Awards is approaching. Benjamin has spent a night with a girl named Allison, who worked as a temp at New York Monthly. She tells Oliver that she saw his name on the list as one of the Doctors of the Year. "Unless there is another Doctor Barnes that works at St. Ambrose," she adds. Now the guessing begins... Stewart sees his old competitor Jack Arbogast at the hospital and gets agitated. Turns out he's now working there. Stewart tells Regina that 30 years ago there was a job opportunity in Boston but Jack snatched it from him....

The Siblings, Lydia and Stewart attend Uncle Ned's funeral. Regina points out to Benjamin and Oliver that Kathy, the girl next door from Uncle Ned's beach house the brothers used to drool after, is also at the funeral reception. When Kathy (Krista Allen) approaches them, the brothers revert back to nervous 12-year-olds. Lydia tries to get rid of her annoying cousin Frieda and dumps her on Ben and Oliver. Then Kathy comes to announce that she's leaving and asks the brothers to come along and talk over a cup of coffee. Even better, Regina needs an excuse to leave the ...

Ben loses a patient to Oliver, then Oliver loses a patient to Ben. Meanwhile, Stewart and Lydia are audited by the IRS.

Lydia has asked Oliver to participate in the bachelor auction at the hospital. Benjamin thinks she will ask him too to be auctioned like Oliver, but there is a different role for him. Crystal and Stewart have an argument and Stewart comes to stay at Ben and Oliver's. Eventually they need Ben to help sort out their differences. Are his suggestions of any help? There's a girl new to the hospital and Lydia thinks she's a match for Regina. So she wants to introduce them to each other, but the boys remind her Regina always finds faults in girls that Lydia finds for her. So...

Lydia has news: the renovation of her kitchen has finally been approved by the co-owners of the apartment building. Regina has been blamed for stealing a snow globe of Lydia's neighbor in 1982, and she has denied it ever since. Which makes sense, since Benjamin and Oliver stole it. Stewart has an Plan: He agrees with Lydia on a time when she can come to take Monty (the dog), but goes to Ben and Oliver's while telling Crystal that he's taking Monty for a walk. Stewart thinks that by having to wait with Crystal will make Lydia see how wonderful Crystal is and lessen the...

Danielle, a pretty girl moves to the apartment next door to Benjamin's. Stewart points out to Lydia that the girl just moved to New York and does not know anyone there, which leads to Lydia urging Ben to ask Danielle out. When the siblings meet in the café, Oliver warns against seeing anyone "who you can't avoid when the whole thing goes sour." That includes people next door. Unfortunately Stewart arranges a "chance" second meeting between Ben and Danielle. Ben likes Danielle, but there is too strong a feeling of forced meeting for him to ask Danielle on a date. ...

An attractive woman asks Oliver and Ben if she could join their company at the café. Her name is Mary and she has just transferred there. She comes onto Oliver so heavily that it almost completely shuts his brain down - he has never encountered a female equivalent of himself. When Mary leaves (she got what she wanted), Oliver starts reveling in his own handsomeness. Stewart arrives and inquires about the others' plans for the weekend. Then he can't help but proclaim that he and Crystal are going to Donald Chadwell's beach estate - he won the draw. Lydia has plans with...