LOS ANGELES – After having spent several seasons comfortably ensconced on Sunday nights at 10 EDT on ABC, “The Practice” faces an uncertain future.

A move to Mondays at 9 p.m. ET earlier in the season to make way for the midseason police drama “Dragnet” has done David E. Kelley’s veteran legal drama no ratings favors, and series regular Camryn Manheim, who plays defense attorney Ellenor Frutt, is worried.

“We’re all a little concerned,” she tells Zap2it.com, calling in from her last day of work. “We have had the luxury of knowing far in advance over the past several years whether or not we’re coming back. This is the first year it’s been on the fence, due to negotiations.”

“I’m not going to lie to you. It’s a little nerve-wracking, trying to make plans for our futures – not just the actors, but the crew and the executives too. But there’s no dilemma for me; there’s no place else I’d rather be than be bringing quality television to the public.”

There’s a kind of karma to the situation of “The Practice,” since longtime favorite “NYPD Blue” got temporarily kicked out from its Tuesday, 10 p.m. EDT, slot for an upstart new series called “The Practice” in March 1997 (it got booted again years later for the short-lived “Philly,” but is now back home with a ratings vengeance).

“They put us on instead of “NYPD Blue,”‘ Manheim says, “and viewers were pissed off that their favorite show was moved out of the way for this new show, and rightly so. And the only power viewers have, save writing letters, is not to watch, so we had a rocky start.”

After finally settling in on Sunday, “The Practice” proved a solid performer, but the move to Monday threw it against some of the new champions of the reality genre, including Fox’s “Joe Millionaire.”

“It seemed a shame to shake up a good thing,” Manheim says. “But when we moved to Monday night, I literally took it as a compliment from ABC that they felt we were strong enough to anchor a new night. We can look at it two different ways, that they were screwing us over, or that they really felt our strength. That’s how I chose to look at it.”

“After that, we had a rocky start with the “Joe Millionaire’ competition, because flukes like that, you just can’t protect yourself against. But after a while, we did hit our stride.”

And at least, “The Practice” is finishing its season, unlike the two midseason dramas that bookended it on Monday – “Veritas: The Quest” and “Miracles” – both of which were yanked before the ends of their runs.

“The Practice” finishes its seventh season with back-to-back episodes May 5, from 9 to 11 p.m. EDT.

Kelley and Peter Blake wrote the closer, called “Goodbye.” In the explosive plotline, law-firm head Bobby Donnell (Dylan McDermott) suddenly announces his resignation, appointing Eugene (Steve Harris) as senior partner. This comes in the wake of Bobby’s admission to wife Lindsay (Kelli Williams) that he had an affair with an old flame (Teri Polo).

“Honestly,” Manheim says, “and I’m not just giving you the party line, there is not one cast member who wants to leave or feels that it is time to go. We still have so much more to explore, with the relationship between Bobby and Lindsay, that’s just becoming very exciting; where the firm is going to go, given all the emotional craziness that’s going on.”

“I would be so sad if this were the last episode of “The Practice.’ It doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel like the time to leave it.”

There have also been rumors that Kelley’s focus has shifted to his CBS drama pilot, “The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.”

“No, no, no,” Manheim says. “David’s focus has never shifted off “The Practice.’ I feel like we’ve been the favorite child all along. He’s proud of the show and would be as sad as all of us to see it go before its time.”

Any fans wishing to express their views on the future of “The Practice” can write ABC at 500 South Buena Vista Street, 10th Floor, Burbank, CA 91521.

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Camryn Manheim

AP-NY-04-25-03 1204EDT

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