Unleash your inner diva!

LIFETIME TELEVISION SETS JULY 12 PREMIERE FOR
ALL-NEW COMEDIC DRAMA SERIES

STARRING EXCITING NEWCOMER BROOKE ELLIOTT

Stylish 13-Episode Series from Sony Pictures Television is Created by
JOSH BERMAN and Executive Produced by BERMAN, ALEX TAUB,
CRAIG ZADAN, NEIL MERON and DAVID PETRARCA

Ensemble Cast Includes MARGARET CHO, JACKSON HURST,
KATE LEVERING, APRIL BOWLBY, JOSH STAMBERG and
Features BROOKE D’ORSAY and BEN FELDMAN

Season Guest Stars Include ROSIE O’DONNELL, TIM GUNN,
SHARON LAWRENCE, KATHY NAJIMY, JORJA FOX, TERI POLO,
ELLIOTT GOULD, CHUCK WOOLERY and DIEDRICH BADER

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 8, 2009) – Sometimes life throws you “curves,” so, on Sunday, July 12 at 9PM ET/PT get ready for Lifetime Television’s premiere of Drop Dead Diva. The one-hour, comedic drama tells the story of a shallow model-in-training who dies in a sudden accident only to find her soul resurfacing in the body of a brilliant, plus-size and recently deceased attorney. Television newcomer and stage actress Brooke Elliott (Wicked, Taboo) stars alongside Margaret Cho (Notorious C.H.O.), Jackson Hurst (The Tree of Life), Kate Levering (Cashmere Mafia), April Bowlby (Two and a Half Men), Josh Stamberg (Lie to Me), Brooke D’Orsay (How I Met Your Mother) and Ben Feldman (The Perfect Man). The 13-episode series – not simply a “feel good” show, but rather a “feel everything” comedy – joins Lifetime’s Sunday night line up featuring Army Wives, the #1 rated and most watched original drama on cable among women 18-49.

ABOUT DROP DEAD DIVA
When beautiful-but-vapid model wannabe Deb (D’Orsay) has a fatal car accident, she suddenly finds herself in front of Heaven’s gatekeeper, Fred (Feldman), 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 (Elliott). A brilliant, thoughtful and plus-size attorney with a loyal assistant, Teri (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, Deb must come to terms with inhabiting Jane’s curvier frame in the ultimate showdown between brains and beauty.

Guest stars throughout the first season of Drop Dead Diva include Rosie O’Donnell, Tim Gunn, Sharon Lawrence, Kathy Najimy, Jorja Fox, Teri Polo, Elliott Gould, Chuck Woolery and Diedrich Bader.

Drop Dead Diva showcases Lifetime’s long-standing commitment to raising awareness about issues that matter most to women. In partnership with women’s non-profit organizations, including Step Up Women’s Network and The National Association of Women Lawyers, Lifetime will guide a public discussion about stereotypes, work/life balance and being healthy at every size. In collaboration with self-esteem and body image expert and author Jess Weiner, viewers will be driven each week to mylifetime.com for “toolkits” that will lead positive, entertaining and informative discussions about the issues that each episode raises.

Drop Dead Diva is produced by Sony Pictures Television for Lifetime Television. Josh Berman (Bones, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) is creator and executive producer. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Academy Award-winning Chicago, Hairspray, Lifetime’s Living Proof) of Storyline Entertainment are executive producers. Alex Taub (Eli Stone) is executive producer and show runner and David Petrarca (Brothers and Sisters) is a director and executive producer. Thania St. John (Eureka) is a consulting producer as are the team of Jeanette Collins and Mimi Friedman (Big Love).

Photography is available at www.lifetimepress.com.

LIFETIME PICKS UP "DROP DEAD DIVA" DRAMA STARRING ELLIOT AND CHO, PREMIERES JULY 12

Photo credit: Lifetime/Sony Television Click image for download

Lifetime Television has picked up the new comedic drama "Drop Dead Diva," which stars The Pirate Queen's Brooke Elliott and stage and screen star Margaret Cho.

Josh Berman ("Bones," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation") is the creator and executive producer of the new series, which, press notes state, "tells the story of a shallow model-in-training who dies in a sudden accident only to find her soul resurfacing in the body of a brilliant, thoughtful and plus-size attorney."

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron of Storyline Entertainment are the executive producers of the series. Zadan and Meron are the famed producing team behind the Oscar-winning film of Chicago, the acclaimed movie of Hairspray and the recent TV film "A Raisin in the Sun."

Photo credit: Lifetime/Sony Television Click image for download

Produced by Sony Pictures Television, the new series will premiere in summer 2009 on Lifetime Television.

JoAnn Alfano, executive vice president of Lifetime Networks, said in a statement, "I couldn't be more excited about 'Drop Dead Diva.' It's the type of show that truly enhances the Lifetime brand – the duality of emotionally compelling drama with an equal balance of humor."

Margaret Cho is well known for her stand-up work in I'm the One That I Want, which also enjoyed a wildly successful run Off-

Click images for high res download Photo credit: Lifetime/Sony Television

Broadway, on national tour and was subsequently filmed and adapted into a best-selling book. Her other one-woman shows include Notorious C.H.O., which would lead the comedienne to Carnegie Hall; Revolution; and the politically charged State of Emergency and Assassin. Cho was also seen by television audiences in her sitcom "All-American Girl."

Brooke Elliott has been seen on Broadway in The Pirate Queen and Taboo as well as in the national tour of Wicked.