Review by Judy Johnson
Stars Brooke Elliott, Margaret Cho, Jackson Hurst, Kate Levering, April Bowlby,
Josh Stamberg, Ben Feldman, David Denman, Brooke D'Orsay, Vickie Eng | Created by Josh Berman
UK certification 12 | UK RRP £19.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 544 minutes | Directed by Michael Lange
A light-hearted comedy drama, Drop Dead Diva is another US show which proudly rounds off each episode with a little moral to help you on your way.
The court caper has a supernatural difference; it tells the story of a shallow wannabe model, Deb (D’Orsay), who suddenly dies and finds herself on the escalator in the sky meeting her very own heaven gatekeeper. Not quite ready to kick the bucket with her heels yet, Deb hits the return button only to find her soul has accidentally taken residence in the body of Jane (Elliott), a plus-sized lawyer who was dying on the operating table. With Deb’s memories but Jane’s IQ and life, the has-been model attempts to be a little less selfish and a little more of a do-gooder, with the odd doughnut thrown in for good measure.
Stereotypical bimbo best friend Stacey - who has quite happily accepted that Deb is now Jane – gives a pretty funny (literally) performance, while the frumpy attorney starts her new life with some extra red lipstick and a hair flick that any pageant girl would envy. Revealing the insecurities of those who are fat and thin, clever and dim one oh-so-touching case at a time, the characters are quirky enough to keep it interesting. At times though, the ease with which Jane accepts her new life is a little unbelievable – especially as her old fiancé is busy getting to know the office bitch while he grieves.
Solving morally-appropriate cases such as a waitress who was fired because she was overweight, the show is often more Ally McBeal than Legally Blonde, but entertaining nonetheless. As Deb uses her second chance to make Jane’s life one to be proud of, more and more secrets unravel and the characters become quite lovable – enough, at least, that you’ll want to see what happens next season.
EXTRAS ★★★ Dreamisodes (see Jane's dreams); six deleted scenes; Rosie's Rap; Dropping in with Drop Dead Diva - a behind-the-scenes look at the show; Cho and Tell - Margaret Cho gives her opinions on life in seven featurettes.