Deb lives a happy life. A successful model, she shares her apartment with her best friend Stacy. She met the perfect boyfriend, Grayson and is very much in love with him. She is not just quite the most focused driver, though, and dies in a car crash. Up at a place a place where heaven and hell are sorted out, she refuses her fate and manages to return to earth. Her soul enters an available body, previously belonging to Jane Bingum, a lawyer. Jane is not exactly a model, she has very generous curves. Deb retains her memories, not Jane’s, but she inherits her off-charts IQ.
Forced to live Jane’s life, Deb receives help from a guardian angel, Fred. Stacy, to whom Deb has told everything, and Fred, are the only ones who know Jane’s true identity. In fact, by evolving in a different environment, by learning to use her assets, Deb is going to evolve her identity, and the image that Jane projects. She’ll gain a more meaningful life, and the opportunity to accomplish useful deeds.
The only catch is that Grayson works in Jane’s firm, unaware of course of who she is. Eventually, Deb comes to terms with letting her true love live his own life. Or has she?
A feel good romcom!
In theory, drop dead diva had nothing to please me: I’m not a fan of romance, and I generally shun series full of good feelings. And yet I fell for this series that makes you want to fight again! This is certainly due to the energy of its lead actress. Well-written dialogue also helped, along with a cast of strong-willed characters.
It’s easy to identify with Jane/Deb: who among us hasn’t felt a hurtful gap between the way we see ourselves (physically and intellectually) and the way others see us? Deb/Jane shows us that we can change the way others look at us if we are convinced that we are better than the image they portray. I regret the cliché about superficial blondes (Deb and Stacy). And I’m definitely not a fan of emotional scenes and good feelings. But despite this, I watch this series over a hot drink and it never fails to cheer me up. Quite a feat!
6 seasons, 78 episodes (40 mn), 2009-2014, on Amazon Prime Video
WITH :
- The lawyers : Brooke Elliott as Jane Bingum, Margaret Cho as Teri Lee, Kate Levering as Kim Kaswell, Jackson Hurst as Grayson Kent, Josh Stamberg as Jay Parker
- Family and friends : April Bowlby as Stacy Barrett, Lex Medlin as Owen French, Brooke D’Orsay as the original Deb Dobkins, Sharon Lawrence as Bobbi Dobkins, Faith Prince as Elaine Bingum
- The guardian angels : Ben Feldman as Fred, Carter MacIntyre as Luke Daniel, Justin Deeley as Paul
- Guest stards : Paula Abdul as judge Paula Abdul, Kim Kardashian as Nikki LePree