2 September 2009, Singapore – Life is better, bigger? Coming on Sony Entertainment Television this December is comical dramedy Drop Dead Diva, which plays on such a quirky premise. Shallow, aspiring model Deb (Brooke D’Orsay, How I Met Your Mother/ Big Bang Theory) meets with a car accident while concurrently, dowdy, plus-sized lawyer Jane (Broadway actress Brooke Elliot, Taboo/ Wicked) takes a bullet for her boss and dies on the operating table. In a twist of fate, or perhaps divine intervention, Deb’s soul returns in the form of Jane’s body and she wakes up to discover with much horror that she has morphed from a size 0… to 16.

Drop Dead Diva’s seamless blend of heart and humour has scored well in the States, where it premiered with 2.8 million viewers, the highest-rated original drama series debut across key demographics on cable network Lifetime since 2007.  Marking a dramatic leap from the prior four-week time period average, the series delivered stellar results across its key demographics – a 148% gain among women 18 to 40 and a 158% increase among women 25-54! Creator of the series Josh Berman, despite having previously dabbled in ‘darker’ shows like CSI and Vanished, has evidently nailed the recipe for Drop Dead Diva in a delightfully refreshing manner.

Brooke Elliot, as a relative newcomer to TV, tackles her challenging role of dual souls with aplomb, as applauded by The New York Times, “in the most implausible of comic mixups Ms Elliott is convincing, and even affecting, at every turn”. Naturally aghast at her new body and brain-draining job, her character has to grapple with her new-found intelligence and her inability to fit into her previous size-zero dresses, as well as resist doughnuts and cheese dips. Elliott effortlessly brings out the conflicting yet complementary personalities in poignant moments – Deb’s self-assurance overcomes a deeply insecure Jane, who first succeeds in convincing a timid female client to stand up against her domineering husband, by coaching her Deb’s signature strut the ‘Booty Bounce’ (shoulders back, show the rack!).  

The inspired casting has much to add to the solid calibre of this lighthearted dramedy. Stand-up comedian Margaret Cho stars as Jane’s no-nonsense and loyal assistant Teri, whose friendship will prove invaluable to Jane in time to come. Deb’s best friend Stacey (April Bowlby, Two and a Half Men) has also by proxy, become Jane’s best friend and her zany encouragement helps keep Jane’s sanity in check. As with any chick flick, affairs of the heart are inevitable. Deb’s devoted boyfriend Grayson (Jackson Hurst, The Tree of Life) coincidentally becomes Jane’s new co-worker, who still wrestles with his feelings for Deb. Aww.

Not to be missed is the dream list of guest stars, from Elliot Gould, Rosie O’Donnell, Paula Abdul, Kathy Najimy, Jorja Fox, to Tim Gunn who will appear as himself. Especially ironic is Jorja Fox of CSI fame who will leap over to the other side of the law as an ex-convict and Paula Abdul who will return as a judge in the wake of her American Idol exit, but this time with a gravel in hand.

For all the light-hearted frivolity that makes Drop Dead Diva such engaging escapist fare, there is an underlying message to convey. As Jane so aptly pointed out in a closing statement for her case, “Do you notice people have euphemisms for being overweight? Large, plus-sized, full-figured…but no one, not even me, especially not me, wants to say the word fat. ” For all the clichéd farce, Drop Dead Diva is grounded in reality and might have more heart to share than any other show on TV these days.

Is fat the new fabulous? Find out in Drop Dead Diva premiering first and exclusively on Sony Entertainment Television this December!


Drop Dead Diva premieres Wednesday, 16 Dec 2009
First & Exclusively on Sony Entertainment Television (SET) @ 9PM

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