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PHILADELPHIA Drop Dead Diva
9 p.m. Sundays, Lifetime
It's one of TV's unlikelier success stories.
Brooke Elliott was a stage trouper, performing in the national tours of musicals such as "Wicked" and "Beauty and the Beast." Then her agent told her about a prospective Lifetime series, "Drop Dead Diva," that might suit her.
To her astonishment, she got the part - a role that requires some explanation. Elliott plays Jane Bingum, a smart and zaftig lawyer, who is possessed by the spirit of Deb Dobkins, a shallow and skinny model.
"Deb's soul is in Jane's body," says the actress. The polar opposites have to find a way to coexist. The premise provides a steady stream of humor and pathos.
"Drop Dead Diva" was an instant hit for Lifetime. The recent debut of the third season notched 2.9 million viewers against some very stiff competition on cable.
Maybe it's "DDD's" themes of identity and personal transformation. Maybe it's the show's broad comedic streak. Or maybe it's the random song-and-dance numbers, but "Diva" has been able to pull an illustrious parade of guest stars, including Liza Minnelli, Tim Gunn, Rosie O'Donnell, Clay Aiken, LeAnn Rimes and Jennifer Tilly.
The protagonist's dueling personalities make even romance tricky. Before she died, Deb's boyfriend was Grayson (Jackson Hurst), an attorney at Jane's firm.
She's still in love with him, but now she has to try to gain his affection without the flowing blond locks and the Barbie-doll body.
