"Private Practice" returned to the ABC lineup Thursday night with a strong showing in the Nielsen ratings, reports The Futon Critic.

In the adults 18-49 demographic, "Private Practice" was second only to "Grey’s Anatomy," which preceeded it at 9 p.m. "Practice" earned a 4.5/13, ahead of "The Mentalist’s" 3.7/10 on CBS and Jay Leno’s 1.6/4 on NBC.

–Allison J. Waldman