A new series for Manheim?

“The Practice” is closing its doors on May 16, but one of its main characters, Ellenor Frutt, played by Camryn Manheim, may live on in her own sitcom spin-off.

The untitled project, created by Dan O’Shannon, will probably air in January, Manheim said Tuesday.

The script hasn’t been written yet, but the concept is for Ellenor, the serious and noble defense lawyer Manheim has played for eight years on “The Practice,” to move back to her hometown (probably Buffalo, N.Y.) to teach at a local college and interact with her mother and two sisters, Manheim said.

David E. Kelley, who created “The Practice,” said he will not be involved in the development of the sitcom. Instead, he will be writing and producing another dramatic spinoff of the legal show starring James Spader, William Shatner and Rhona Mitra.

--Maria Elena Fernandez