'Drop Dead Diva' features Margaret Cho and Brooke Elliott

By April MacIntyre Jan 20, 2009, 2:06 GMT

Margaret Cho - Lifetime Television’s bringing Margaret Cho back to the smallscreen. © Terry Thompson / PR Photos

Lifetime Television’s bringing Margaret Cho back to the smallscreen.

The network announced the pick up of "Drop Dead Diva", a new comedic drama series that puts a twist on the battle between brains and beauty.  

Drop Dead Diva tells the story of a shallow model-in-training who dies suddenly only to find her soul resurfacing in the body of a brilliant, thoughtful and plus-size attorney. 

Drop Dead Diva is produced by Sony Pictures Television and is set to premiere on Lifetime Television in the Summer 2009.

“I couldn’t be more excited about Drop Dead Diva,” said JoAnn Alfano, Executive Vice President, Lifetime Networks.  “It’s the type of show that truly enhances the Lifetime brand – the duality of emotionally compelling drama with an equal balance of humor.”

“In 2008, we introduced some terrific new programming to the Network, and Drop Dead Diva is the perfect complement to our schedule,” continued Alfano.

From Lifetime:

When beautiful-but-vapid model wannabe Deb has a fatal car accident, she suddenly finds herself in front of Heaven’s gatekeeper, Fred, who declares her a self-centered “zero.” 

Outraged, she attempts to persuade Fred to return her to her shallow existence but is accidentally relegated to the body of the recently deceased Jane Bingum (Brooke Elliott). 

A brilliant, thoughtful and plus-size attorney with a loyal assistant (Margaret Cho),  Jane has always lived in the shadow of her more comely colleagues whereas Deb has always relied on her external beauty.  Now, by a twist of fate and a bolt of divine intervention, both personalities must learn to coexist in Jane’s plus-size frame in the ultimate showdown between brains and beauty.