Drop Dead Diva

Even though I'm not among the typical target group of this show I like "Drop Dead Diva" season one. From my perspective this show did a lot right, starting with a more than just likable, talented cast and nicely written often touching stories.

"DDD" is a show trying to prove that there's always more than meets the eye. For example on the one hand we got Jane. She's not the type of woman who meets typical TV beauty ideals. Her body in combination with the personality of Deb - at first sight the "typical" young blonde woman - two stereotype extreme's meet. But when you learn to know her better, I'd say it's hard not to like her(especially during the second half of season one, when she's becoming emotionally more stable). Then there's Stacy. At the first glance I didn't like her. Turns out this is a truly wonderfully written character, getting funnier with every episode. In my opinion the best character of the show. I can't imagine "DDD" without her.

As for now female characters are definitely leading the show. I think that male characters could use a little more space to develop beyond their surface. Another aspect bothering me: "Drop Dead Diva" starts with this angel/heaven/return button plot. A Setup where anything seems possible. Unfortunately most of the time the show doesn't make use of these possibilities. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed many of them very very much but if it goes on like that it might risk to become like other lawyer TV-shows or remind of films like "Legally Blonde".

In short: "Drop Dead Diva" is lovely, positive and life-affirming. Good people doing the right thing, while confronting prejudices, stereotypes and other social injustices. Sometimes it reminded me of "Ally McBeal" - probably not as great and funny as Ally during it's best times, but it's doing quiet a fine job!

I simply love this new TV show and wish it would last for more than just a season or two like some other great shows I loved and that were off. Anyway, let's talk about Drop Dead Diva. Actually, my first reaction to the show, or frankly to the TITLE of the show, was kind of "What a nonsense they're putting on". Hello!? I could not have been wrong more here. Not a nonsense. Quite on the contrary. One can not only get a nice law story per episode, but also gets a share of really great performance here as well as really lovable characters. I loved and love a lot of TV shows (most of them already ended), but since my late teens I for the first time am really thrilled with the main character of the TV show, as well as I can well put myself in almost every position she's in (except, huh, for having your soul trapped in a wrong body). It's like in many TV shows and movies we only get these 'super white big smile nice body' actors and actresses which all look great and at the same time almost the same and just as unreal as Santa to any grown-up, but this time we are getting this new character which is awesome, beautiful, and at the same time just like me, you or someone next to you. And I really love that. Long live the show as there is one fan for you here already

"Drop Dead Diva" is a new series on Lifetime. The pilot is very enjoyable, mainly because of the star, Brooke Elliot, who is fabulous. She plays a brilliant, highly successful attorney, Jayne, who pays no attention to her appearance - she's on the heavy side, and her hair is long with no style. One night, she stays late at the office, and a man, angry with one of the partners, comes in with a gun. She is killed. At the same moment of her death, a shallow, pencil thin, blonde beauty named Deb is driving to an audition to be a prize demonstrator on The Price is Right and crashes while putting on lipstick. Upset that she's dead, once in heaven, she hits a "return" button when the check-in person isn't looking. She ends up with Jayne's body, Jayne's brains, and her own memory.

I love the premise - it's been used in movies before, but usually seriously. Some of the scenes are great, including when Deb first sees herself as Jayne, Jayne trying to get into Deb's clothes - I won't spoil it for you. Since Deb has inherited Jayne's brain power, she's thrilled that she's now smart, and certainly knows how to deal with competitive women, which Jayne did not. I love how Elliot incorporates Deb's bubbly personality beneath the person of Jayne.

Very well cast, with Margaret Cho as Jayne's assistant and Kate Levering, a talented Broadway actress, as Deb's friend Kim.

Great fun, and I'm so happy that Lifetime has been branching out from its women in jeopardy theme.

Like Tom Hanks, Brooke Elliott has "that certain something", that very few actors have. It has to do with Likability. She exudes a very pleasant charm. She makes it easy to believe that a sweet, model-aspiring airhead has inhabited a high power attorney and has access to her rapid-firing brain cells. I like it that the Jane Bingum character has a golden moral compass and yet is playful like a Sex in the City girl. Kudos to the creator and writers for creating a character that is like a real person. The Jane Bingum character reveals great sensitivity and vulnerability along with areas of great strength and fortitude. This is no "one note" character like the many that usually populate series TV shows. Drop Dead Diva is both high drama and wry comedy by virtue of its excellent writers. But, where would this show be without Brooke Elliott? It will be interesting to see what she does next. I predict a smart producer or director will cast her in a movie on the big screen very soon.

This was a fun show! I liken it to Legally Blonde meets Alley McBeal with music from Ugly Betty. Binge worthy if you like these three!