Season Wrap Up: Drop Dead Diva

by Kelly Bedard

Season three seemed to fly by in the always dramatic world of Jane/Deb and her quirky coworkers, sweet best friend, various lovers and adorable guardian angel (aka worst guardian angel ever). Skirting past season two's silly cliffhanger amusingly quickly, Josh Berman and co.'s third outing had some wonderful highlights and the occasional let's say misdirected plot point.

Diva in Season 3

Drop Dead Diva is sort of a pet show for us here at My TV. We love it unconditionally, nudge it along whenever we can and aren’t afraid to scold it when it digs up the flowerbeds. But as it returns for a so-far very strong season three, we’re happy to report that there’s no scolding necessary, just warm cuddles and a few laughs.

My TV Award nominee Brooke Elliott is back and bubbly-sweet as ever as the body-swapped Jane/Deb hybrid. Whether she’s belting out a showtune, putting the smackdown on a powerful corporation or gazing heartbreakingly at her prodigal soul mate Grayson, Jane is as sympathetic a heroine as can be. Sometimes her Deb-ness gets to be overwhelming but the writers always give her something like that superbly self-worthy voicemail scene to remind us that she’s got even more spine than she does sparkle.

The biggest dynamic change heading into the Lifetime series’ third season is the coupledom of Jane’s confidantes Fred and Stacey. To hell with Sam and Diane, I am loving the stability of this relationship. Independently, Fred and Stacey are my favourite characters on Diva and showrunner Josh Berman has found a way to make them a unit without sacrificing any of their individual awesomeness. Rather, they’ve quickly sunk into a comfortably sweet routine that allows them to explore their own stories then come back together for a one-off episode about Fred faking having a mother. The highlight of their relationship story so far was the wonderful awkwardness of Jane giving Fred way-too-intimate/incredibly helpful hints about Stacey’s “preferences”. Given Jane’s level of intimacy with both characters, there’s the potential for a never-ending supply of funny stories for Fred and Stacey as a low-key and stable couple. Here’s hoping the writers allow them to be the Monica and Chandler, leaving the dramatic stuff to the flakier couples.

The season so far has been rife with delights from a surprise appearance by Louis Van Amstel as Teri (Margaret Cho)’s dance partner (you’ve got to love the meta fun that shows like Dancing with the Stars make room for) to the short but sweet and character-affirming arc of the BFD (Boyfriend Doctor), Ben Shenkman. The case against the sperm bank was probably my favourite law story so far (wonderfully touching), and while I’m glad Grayson didn’t get married, anyone who thought he actually might doesn’t know the first thing about scripted television.

I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Berman and his happy-go-lucky crew of adorableness back in my life every week. I can’t wait to see where they go from here.

Exclusive Interview: Brooke Elliott

 Before we announce the winners of this year's My TV Awards, we're proud to present the 2010 My TV Interview series. 

Today's interview is with Brooke Elliott, the remarkable star of Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva. Brooke is nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy for her work as Jane Bingum, the soul of a supermodel in a size 16 lawyer's body. 

Click Here to read the full interview
and be sure to check out the My TV, My Theatre and My Cinema award nominations.

Actor Obsession: Matt Letscher

So there's this guy. Whenever someone asks me who my favourite TV actors are, I never think of him. I don't remember to include him in lists of TV crushes, standout characters or superb guest stars. But the thing is, I really really should. Maybe it's because he's not very showy. Or maybe it's that no matter how many awesome shows he's on, they always seem to be canceled before their time. He doesn't often get to make grand speeches, stand on any literal or metaphorical coffee carts or get top billing as the star of the show. But I love him. I've loved him for years (since 1998 to be exact) and have loved every single thing I've ever seen him in (which is a lot). He deserves to be on those aforementioned lists, I'm embarrassed that I never remember to put him there. He did, however, earn a My TV Award nomination in 2009 for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for his work on Eli Stone. That guy is Matt Letscher.

Still don't know who he is? Letscher's is one of those names that people never seem to recognize when I bring it up, but almost everyone knows his work. He's a terrifyingly unrepentant villain (The Mask of Zorro), a terrific office prig (Good Morning Miami), the playful but responsible older brother (Eli Stone) and the sweet single dad from the playground (Brothers & Sisters). He was married to Joey's crush and dated Old Christine. And now he's hired Parker and Kim to defend him on Drop Dead Diva.

In a lovely episode that miraculously overcame many many cheesy hurdles (a bizzaro court case for Jane, an overly emotional Grayson, an insecure Kim, and Jake Pavelka), Letscher made me love him all over again. He barely said a word for the first half of the episode, just sat there wearing cool "I work in the TV industry" glasses and not giving too much away. He played the producer of a Bachelor-like reality show, who was being sued for inflicting emotional damage on a rejected bachelorette (the always adorable Camille Guaty). Kim called him a jerk, Pavelka's character claimed he set the bachelorette up for heartbreak and we were bombarded with criminalizing footage from the fictional show; all signs pointed to "this guy's a pig". But there's something about Letscher's eyes. He didn't have to say anything, I knew he was a good guy this time. Maybe it's the way he furrows his brow, or something about the light going out of his twinkling blue eyes when he plays a villain; maybe it's the way his face reddens before you see any tangible tears (not that he cried on Diva, just sat there downhearted) or all or none of the above. Whatever it is, Matt Letscher is one of the most emotional actors working today. He can always make me feel whatever it is I'm supposed to. This time around, no matter what the evidence, I knew I was supposed to like him. So I did, and it turns out I was right to. Matt Letscher's the best in the business for emotional turns: he can rip your heart out without ever seeming dramatic; he can make you laugh, make you mad and give you nightmares. That's a lot of reaction for a familiar face to inspire.

Would someone PLEASE get this man a starring vehicle?! He can play absolutely anything and will have the audience exactly where he wants them the entire time. I'm telling you, there's something about those eyes.

My Week in TV

The Bachelorette: She picked the right guy. They rode off into the sunset. I got simultaneously jealous and then ashamed of myself. It was pretty standard. Except that she let the other guy go before the last day, causing the producers to have to scramble for a new dramatic ending. I kinda liked that, it was both humane and inconvenient- right on. I fear that The Bachelorette may have made me like Ali. Well, something new every day I guess.

Big Brother: I don't know who to cheer for. Rachel is a lunatic but Kristen is a bitch. The brigade is a bumbling alliance but Brendan has terrible taste in women. Kathy is a nothing player. Britney and Ragan aren't bad but I usually don't approve of low key players. I suppose my loyalties still lie with the smartest brigade member, Matt (who's supposed mishandled HOH last week actually took the target 100% off his back) and the so-called "floaters" Britney and Ragan whom I think are playing pretty well, just subtly (and are also each good for some solid quotables each episode). See the comments section on Tim's post from earlier this week for more of my thoughts.

Drop Dead Diva: a good episode this week proclaimed that Jane and Grayson need to grow into their soulmate-ness. It was a great scene, brilliantly acted by Brooke Elliott and well written. It's a sweet concept but exists entirely in TV land, somewhere I always credited Diva for not living.

Project Runway: It's back! That is good. That is all.

My Boys: Another solid episode this week gave us some brilliant quotes as Mike planned his own birthday celebration.

Top Chef: A decent lot of chefs completely pales in comparison to last season's. Kenny keeps proclaiming that he's the man but has yet to truly prove it. Angelo is a decently strong chef but the producers are trying too hard to frame him as a villain when he's not dynamic enough to warrrant it. Alex is kind of an interestingly sketchy character and Amanda is maddening but overall these people are blandly talented and boring. Once you go Volt you never go back. Though even without the brilliant brothers, last season still had lots of great going ons like the great characters and food of Kevin and Eli, the controversy of Robin and the tough gal persona of Jennifer. This season's got none of it. It's also the kitschiest yet, and that's saying something considering last season was set in Vegas.

Life Unexpected: I'm catching up through summer re-runs. Me like.

The Good Wife: ditto.

The Last Comic Standing: Still loving my first experience with the show. Go Tommy Go!

So You Think You Can Dance: Kent's got this. That's been obvious since the second Alex went down. However, Lauren did have a spectacular week this week and Robert's grown on me. But Travis (LOVE) choreographed one of the most upsettingly moving pieces of the series thus far and gave it to Kent to dance with all-star Neil (also, LOVE) so he's got this, there's no doubt about it. And deservingly so. I mean, it should have been Alex but he's hurt. It could have been Anthony but the producers didn't like him enough to put him in the finals. It could have been Billy, but America didn't get him (though he REALLY should have made it past Adechike). So it's Kent. He's sweet, he's charming and boy can DANCE! He can take the prize, I'm cool with that.

Bones and True Blood: My current DVD projects. I'm still in season 1 of both but hoping to catch up to the newest seasons come fall. Loving both, especially Bones (that Christmas episode is superb!)

Good and Bad This Week

The Good

- SYTYCD's earnest (annoying?) farmboy Kent is engagingly mature, almost (dare I say it) sexy, this week in a smooth Dave Scott hip hop with Comfort and a beautiful Travis Wall contemporary with Lauren. 

- Deserving Emmy nominees abound, especially Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler.

- Big Brother returns with a cool new twist that's nowhere near as stupid as last year's high school theme. The rock star/mensa member takes off as a My TV early favourite.

- Brian Voltaggio (among others) reminds Top Chef viewers of the high standards contestants can meet.

- My favourite female dancer in SYTYCD history, Katee,  returned this week to dance a wonderful Broadway routine with Billy. 

- Hot in Cleveland is funny, nostalgic and a hit on TV Land's first attempt at scripted series. 

- All the right people keep getting eliminated one by one on True Beauty until only the tolerable remain (go Taylor!)

- Faith Prince reprises her role as Jane's mom on Drop Dead Diva in a lovely and moving episode that had Jane singing again.

The Bad

- The reason Katee came back to dance was because the amazing All-Star Allison hurt her ribs.

- Grayson's Drop Dead Diva story was a little strained this week.

- The Last Comic Standing audition rounds are over: one of the few reality shows where the audition rounds are actually entertaining.


- The Bachelorette wasted half its episode on a pointlessly juvenile breakup interview with Jake and Vienna (artfully mediated by the excellent Chris Harrison) instead of giving us more time with Ali's wonderful remaining men like Roberto, Kirk and Frank (for whom previews show the days are numbered before he becomes the season's third major villain).

- There aren't very many episodes left of the superb fourth season of Friday Night Lights.

and (the most traumatic by far)

- Alex Wong, by far the most interesting, most sympathetic, most engaging, hardest working dancer on So You Think You Can Dance this year (oh, and the single greatest dancer the show's ever seen), was injured this week and taken out of the competition. If he does not return next year my heart will surely break.

Fat Shows, the biggest problem since Skinny Shows

This week was the premiere of a new ABC family show called Huge. It's basically an hour each week in which rebellious Will (you know she's a rebel because she's got blue hair) obnoxiously fights against losing weight at fat camp. Oh boy. I cannot wait. The premiere alone was chock a block full of nasty stereotypes, whether it wanted to be or not. At some point someone in Hollywood's gonna realize that being fat doesn't mean you worship food, right? Somebody's got to realize that eventually because if I see one more sequence in which someone describes a chocolate milkshake in such detail that they begins to moan I'm gonna lose it. If I see one more character willing to get kicked out of camp for a chocolate bar I'm gonna scream. And the next time someone says "it's hard being without my favourite foods" I'm going to declare war on this show full of unrealistic fat people invented in the minds of skinny ones.  

Huge is pulling from 2 sides: it wants Will to just give in and try to "change her life" as Gina Torres' fatcamp director character (with secrets!) urges, but it also needs Will there to spout the standard after school special "why should I have to change to meet your standards?... there's more to the world than looks" lines. Neither side is very endearing. Someone thinking fat camp is stupid is not the same thing as, what did Torres' character call it? Oh yeah, "risking your life rather than changing it". But Will doesn't stand for anything. She has no reason to fight against the camp. She's just being rebellious for rebellion's sake. Well that's pretty stupid. Every character in Huge is defined by their body. There are the skinny ones who are obsessed with being skinny. There are the fat ones who are obsessed with being skinny. And then there's Will, who needs her fat because it gives her some sort of outsider edge. She's rebelling against the mainstream by refusing to look like their ideal. Aren't there better ways to rebel against the mainstream? Why would you actively try to gain weight? I understand not actively trying to lose it, that takes a lot of time and energy that could just as easily be spent on more interesting things. But to actively fight against it, that makes you as boring as the people who spend all their time counting calories- you're counting too, just in the other direction.

It seems to me that TV right now is obsessed with weight. Top Chef just did a challenge designed around childhood obesity. The newest in the string of dance shows is called Dance Your Ass Off. Last year they made The Bachelor for Fat People (it's unofficial title). There's a sitcom slated for the fall about people who meet at Overeaters Anonymous. For crying out loud, The Biggest Loser got it's own spinoff!

For awhile there I thought Glee might have the right idea; Mercedes, an overweight teen, was the reigning diva of the school and pretty darn self assured. Then came the episode when a cheerleading uniform managed to unseat every shred of self worth Ms. Divarific had and she had to be set straight by little pregnant angel Quinn. And then they sang Christina Aguilera, because why wouldn't they? After finding that episode personally offensive I pretty much gave up on Glee ever having the right idea.

Drop Dead Diva's on the right track when dealing with the issue of fatness. There's a whole episode about not being afraid of the word fat. About accepting that the average woman in America does not look like a TV character. About treating people equally. That's definitely the right idea, that's how it should go. Don't be afraid of the word fat but don't worship it either. "Fat" to me is about as interesting as "tall" or "blue-eyed" or "brunette", but for some reason it matters more to everyone else. Even the Fat Shows (yes, that's what I'm calling them), Diva aside, which are, in theory, helping to move the nation in the right direction in terms of standards of beauty and treatment of others, are doing nothing more or less than making it a big deal. Again. Even more. How is that helpful?

Gilmore Girls married off Sookie (Melissa McCarthy's overweight character) to a charming, average guy named Jackson. I say average and I don't mean average in the sense of everyone else is a TV hunk and he's an average Joe, I mean average, like standard in the world of Stars Hollow, like what average actually means. Sookie's weight wasn't a big deal, it was about as interesting as her height or her eye colour or (and here's another thing I think should be handled similarly) her race. Why shouldn't Jackson fall in love with Sookie? Sookie's awesome. Last season on 90210 Navid started dating a girl who was a bit larger than average (aka severly chubby by 90210 standards) but very pretty. Absolutely nothing was made of it. She was a real threat to Adriana, a real love interest to Navid and a character with many more interesting things about her than her weight. I know, 90210, who'da thunk, but it showed real progress.

Huge is a step backwards. A big step backwards. Maybe that's what the title means, "we're taking a HUGE step backwards". Otherwise it's pretty much just a tasteless title.  Star Nikki Blonsky (Will) had her big Hollywood breakthrough in Hairspray, a role so anti-huge I can't even believe it. Tracy Turnblad has nothing in common with Will. Will wants to stand on the outside and shout at those on the in, take anything she can get to make her different (read: superior for being different) whether it's her weight or her hair and fly it as a flag that stands for nothing. All Tracy wanted was to get to join the party; she thought everyone should be invited. She wasn't going to lose weight to get in, she wouldn't even change her hairdo when it got her put in detention. She was fine just the way she was, but Tracy also thought everyone else was fine, no matter how skinny, fat, tall, short, black or white they were. She assumed Link would fall in love with her because her weight's not nearly as important as her other qualities, and he did, because those other qualities were pretty great "no matter what [she] weighs". TV needs to get over the fact that the issue of fat is anything huge (forgive the terrible pun). Fat needs to be an adjective that carries about as much weight as all the other ones. I'd like to see TV characters who get to be nouns, not adjectives.

Let's have people who look like people and treat them as such. Let's have tall people AND short people, people with straight hair AND with curls; let's have white people, black people, asian people, hispanic people, people with freckles, people with moles, redheads, brunettes, blonds, skinny people, fat people and all the people in between. Let's have them all, and let that be okay.

Diva's Back On Top

This week more than made up for last week's frustrating entry into the Drop Dead Diva canon. Tonight, fans were treated to a Deb who was finally happy being Jane- a major event that was not dwelled upon or undermined in any way.

We also got 2 clever, self-contained legal stories.

Fred had a lovely storyline that played on and aptly defied comedy conventions when introducing a gay character as a friend to a straight one. The story also marked the first time Fred has added something to his life as a human being that wasn't directly connected to Jane. Now he has a friend, something that will at the very least bring him some grounding if not make him even more interesting.

Stacey played her part in a short but sweet story involving a scrapbook and a little breaking and entering.

The Parker-Kim romance that the show has cleverly but not subtly been hinting at for weeks finally kicked off at the end of this episode- it seems like a morally questionable issue for the partner/aspiring-partner duo but they are complimentary characters so I'm in favour of it.

Grayson stepped back into the picture this week after having been largely absent of late. He was charming, he was sweet, he gave Jane his signature look of "you're the smartest woman I've ever met", what more can you ask of the guy?

And, most heartbreakingly, my beloved Tony bid farewell after a short but excruciatingly sweet reconciliation with Jane. David Denman is on a new show this fall and TV rules do dictate that happy couples aren't dramatically interesting (boo!), so I suppose he had to go. But it still hurts. Tony was perfect for Jane. And he was the sort of unexpected TV crush that doesn't come around too often. He wasn't Jim Halpert (oh! irony!), McSteamy or even Seth Cohen, he was a niche market, perfect for that one character, made me giggle kind of TV crush. And oh how I love those.

There was also karaoke, this show is really good at karaoke. So, after a wonderfully solid episode, I must conclude that Tony will be missed but Diva is back in fine form.

A Weaker Diva

After a consistently strong season so far, Drop Dead Diva felt a little tired this week in the fourth episode of its second season. While I applaud the return to humanizing Kim, appreciate a well-placed Michael Buble reference and giggled at Jane and Tony's faux cross-examination, I thought the entire episode was a little heavy handed. In general, Drop Dead Diva is a sweet show with enough wit to mask its lack of subtlety. But this week, the blatant plot mirroring finally started to get on my nerves.

As much as I appreciated the writers' efforts to move Kim along as a character, I could have done without the "this is the episode where she comes off as human and vulnerable" subtitles. Imagine the coincidence: a case about a newborn when the character thinks she's pregnant! What are the chances?! Pretty slim, actually, so why not play with something a little more likely and a little less obvious as a metaphor? And to expect an audience to buy, even for the tiniest second, that Kim was pregnant with Grayson's baby was asking too much. I've haven't been so sure that something wasn't true since Grey's Anatomy tried to convince me McDreamy was dead. Sure, Kim's pregnancy scare had some interesting ramifications for Jane (kudos, by the way, for moving her in exactly the right direction- away from Grayson and towards a realistic but happy Jane ending as opposed to a fantasy Deb one) but the ramifications for Kim stood to be a lot more interesting.

Speaking of Jane's positive momentum, however, she happily moved right back into the arms of My TV crush Tony in this episode. Her recent ex had been pretty jerky in the past 2 episodes but managed to pull right out of it and remind me why I love him as he revealed the hurt behind the jerk. That cross-examination sequence and subsequent "settlement conference" were cheesy, but clever and sweet, trademark Diva. That court case as lame relationship mirror, however, was pretty frustrating. First of all, JANE NEEDS TO LOSE ONE, how convenient was that act three twist that won her the case?! Also, there was some serious conduct unbecoming of an attorney in this week's courtroom, not to mention the fact that the case itself was little more than a vehicle for Jane and Tony to work out their issues. It makes them both seem like lesser lawyers the more they make the cases about themselves. Actually, that's true of every character on the series (the best exception being when Grayson used his disdain for his client to win a case in season 1- that was cool). While I like that the cases on Drop Dead Diva reflect or influence what's going on in the personal stories, a lighter touch is a definite requirement. Otherwise it's just all too convenient, too obvious, and the audience will always be a step ahead of the show.

Here's hoping for a step back up to Diva standards in the weeks to come, which feature the promising returns of recurring actors Jeff Rose, Rosie O'Donnell, Sharon Lawrence and Faith Prince as well as upcoming guest appearances (or character arcs) by Natasha Henstridge, Jake Pavelka and (My TV Favourite) Matt Letscher!- should be good.

My Week in TV

• I was bored, so I made my own version of TV University (a format I blatantly stole from something I saw on www.thetvaddict.com- please, no one sue me).

• This week I got the opportunity to participate in a conference call with Secret Life of the American Teenager actress India Eisley. Not being very familiar with the show, I thought the most interesting thing about this would be that her mother was Zeffirelli's iconic Juliet. But when I caught up with some episodes online to prepare for the call I quickly discovered that I would be speaking to the most interesting aspect of the show. Eisley's character Ashley is the beating heart and smart mouth of an otherwise lobotomized teen condescension fest. And when I heard what Eisley had to say on the call I quickly realized that it's her that gives Ashley the awesome factor. Smart, articulate, humble, sweet and honest, Eisley was thoroughly charming. And when asked what shows she watches and movies she likes I couldn't help but think about the Teen Choice Awards (currently accepting voting online). The nominees are all fluff, the sort of belittling stuff that tells teenagers that because of their age they are expected to actually consider Tristan Wilds (90210) the best actor in a drama on TV (not that I don't really enjoymany a CW show and think that the Emmys should get off their high horse and consider Ed Westwick next season, but still- Tristan Wilds?!). But when 16-year-old Eisley watches TV she chooses Weeds, True Blood and Nurse Jackie (much to the audible surprise of the reporters on the call); and her favourite movie? It's not Twilight, it's Bridge on the River Kwai. I was so impressed with the mature teen star that I may even begin to watch her show. (I'll post more from the interview in the coming days).

• After an uphill battle that's been raging since Christmas, I'm closing in on finishing The Sopranos as I finally embark on season 6. It's been somewhat unpleasant (least sexy show EVER, though I suppose that's the point) and I don't care much for any of the characters but I can see why it is considered so artistically meritorious. For every cartoon of a mobster that fills out the background there's a fascinatingly drawn character to counteract them. The whole affair reeks of filmmakers gone rogue on television: the blatant narcissistic rule-breaking works against the series more than one might expect but does lead to the occasionally inspired moment (like heads in bowling bags- for example!) That doesn't make it pleasant to watch, but it does make it interesting.

• This week I watched all of CBC's newest hit 18 to Life in one sitting. It was cute, it was sweet and I'll be back next season for more.

• When I finally watched CTV's weeks old TV movie Turn the Beat Around (starring forgettable So You Think You Can Dance Canada contestant Romina Something-or-other and awesome SYTYCDCcontestants Miles and Natalie in sadly smaller roles), it proved so unlikeable that I ended up fast forwarding to the dancing parts. Whose idea was it to make a Flashdance remake using disco?!

• Monday night trash TV continues to make me incredibly happy. I love to hate the horrible people on True Beauty (though I kinda actually like Taylor, go Taylor!) and am loving The Bachelorette (as shameful usual). Kirk is progressively becoming my new favourite, I still love Frank even if he is going crazy with jealousy, am counting the days until Craig and Chris N finally leave, still think it might be Roberto who breaks her heart and could not care less if people think Justin is evil, she's clearly not going to pick him anyway.

• So You Think You Can Dance kicked off the voting this week with a strong episode. The All-Stars create a mixed bag or results. Some, like Allison, Mark, Pasha and Anya, raised their competitor partner's game. Others, like Kathryn and Twitch, accidentally detracted by being so awesome themselves. One (namely Courtney) is a mediocre all-star who kinda got outdanced by her partner. Some showed off their partner nicely by supporting them and doing their intended job of just being a partner that won't leave the contestant undeservingly in the bottom 3 (Lauren, Neil, Ade and Comfort did exactly that). I'm not sure how this whole thing will play out but I do know that every new thing I learn about Alex Wong makes me love him even more.

• Drop Dead Diva continues to be amazing this season with an excellent second episode. Chad Lowe made a spectacular guest appearance, Tony and Jane each tore my heart out, Fred proved awesomeness once more, Kim is starting to bounce back as a non-villain and Jeff Rose started his arc as a lawyer in opposition to Jane's firm.

• My daily summer staples Jeopardy and The Daily Show continue to go strong (though I am tired of oil spill coverage- is that terrible?).

and

• I almost missed the Top Chef premiere until I noticed something on the ever-helpful (and sometimes sorrowfully spoiler-full) Facebook newsfeed. It's awesome to have that show back for the summer!

Diva Begins Again

My favourite summer show returned tonight with a wonderful season 2 premiere. Kicking off with a song and dance number featuring Paula Abdul (reprising her fantasy judge role from season 1) and a handful of So You Think You Can Dance's best and brightest, the series continued what is developing into quite a tradition of fantasy musical sequences. This is where I choose to point out that Drop Dead Diva was already around and kicking (read: singing and dancing) well before Glee hit its stride in the fall. But since a little musical interlude has never done anything but make me smile, I welcome the increase in fantastical musical elements that this season is sure to bring (whether egged on by Glee's success or not). The fact that the cast has oodles of theatre professionals on staff certainly helps (seriously, Brooke Elliott's voice is out of this world).

As if this episode was designed just for me, Diva finished with the SYTYCDancer musical number and drove right into Canada jokes then topped it all off with, the piece de resistance, Shakespeare. I've said time and again that my dream writing job would be on the staff for Diva and this only made it worse. There are very few things in this life I love more than television: one of them is musical theatre and the other is Shakespeare (I'm also beginning to think that another might be Tony, could he be dreamier?!). Now, that lame/inaccurate Canada joke reeked of being written by an American (seriously people, I don't know where you're getting this plaid assumption from!), but I can forgive that transgression and award points for the effort since I'm a sucker for any mention of my home country. But the Shakespeare, that was well executed. Henry VI and Richard III, topical and famous but not overexposed texts- perfect choices. Brooke Elliott delivered the opening of "the winter of our discontent" with the ease of a classically trained thespian perfectly at home amidst iambic pentameter (could that woman be any more impressive?) and his "kill all the lawyers" speech added detail to Grayson's character while perfectly framing his role in the episode.

In fact, that was almost his entire role in the episode. The down-playing of Grayson in the premiere I thought served the series well. He played his part (reaffirming his connection with Jane, helping to keep her at the firm, proving once again that he's wonderful, well-intentioned and smart with a couple beautifully written scenes) but was out of the way just enough to keep from undermining her relationship with Tony. If Grayson had been more present in the episode, it would have been much harder to see Tony slow things down with Jane (something I'm sad to see happen either way). The more time Jane spends with Grayson, the worse I feel for (the better match for her) Tony, who will never quite measure up in Deb's eyes. Watching Jane navigate the tricky emotional waters of her surprise husband and the consequences that brought was made so much easier by having Grayson largely absent from the picture. Though he will always be there in the back of Deb's mind, unintentionally undermining Jane's relationships, the fact that Grayson wasn't an active factor in their (sort of) breakup, or even in the surrounding episode, gives me hope for Jane's romantic future.

On the topic of Jane's future, after another big win in a pro bono case I'm really beginning to think that Jane needs to lose, for her own good. Sure she's had a couple career ups and downs over the series so far, but she always comes out firmly on top both morally and legally. I think it's time for Jane to fall. She's not as insecure about her looks anymore, she's far from a romantic failure (mmm, Tony), has good friends (4 amazing ones who've always got her back: Stacy, Fred, Grayson and Teri), and most recent landmines sorted out (she's got her job back, her relationship with her mom is on track and the husband's going away). Now I want to see her lose so she can start to question what she's never had to question before: how good a lawyer she really is, if maybe a client would have been better off with just Jane, before Deb. Dr. Cox (Scrubs) was never so interesting as when he lost 3 patients and the guilt weighed on him. Jane's intelligence and legal licence has, up to this point, been what Stacy calls a "super power", but maybe a good haunting by helplessness would really move Jane forward.

It's that very human quality that helplessness would bring Jane that shines in other characters. Tonight's episode marked the (permanent!) return of fan-favourite Fred, Jane's guardian angel who once gave up heaven to be in love with Stacy. Having Fred back made the series premiere all the more wonderful, especially when the consequences of his earlier decisions really hit home. Fred quit his job as gatekeeper to become human. That opened the doors to wonderful things like the freedom to love whomever he wants. It also brought all the icky realism that comes with humanity, but the audience never really got to see that. Fred quickly left to find himself, embarking on an adventure to "see the world". But the payoff came tonight when he returned from his adventure and we learned that he'd been too scared to even start. It's that icky real thing, the flaws that held him back; Jane called it "human", I call it superb character writing.

It's stuff like that that reminds me to show a little faith when I start to think that the Diva writers are falling into any typical TV trap that I so desperately want them to stay away from. When circumstantial antagonist Kim took on the villain role in tonight's episode, I began to wonder if the previously deepening character had been reverted back to her original 2D bitch status. When Jane gets thrust into perpetually heroic roles and spouts lines like "I'm a really good person"; when fantastically sympathetic Stacy calls Canada "our neighbour to the south"; when Jane's promising romantic interest falls by the wayside with the threat of bad-idea "soulmate" Grayson ever-looming, that's when I begin to question. But showrunner Josh Berman has yet to steer his series wrong, so I pledge allegiance until the very end.

I trust that "I'm a really good person" is a self-perception line, not an absolute truth of the series; I know the writers believe that Kim is capable of being more than just a villain as much as I do; I won't let myself believe that Stacy will continue to grow dumber (ala Joey from Friends) and I know that if the writers do go down the (ugh, terrible, implausible) road towards an inevitable Grayson-Jane romance, they'll do it right. The responsibility of being my favourite summer series is great (I'm critical, I'll admit it) but Diva is the most deserving candidate I've had in a very long while and I'm in it for the long haul with this fundamentally wonderful piece of work.

With a promising season 2 under way, all I can think to hope for is many many seasons of Diva to come. Not only is it perfect summer fare and a welcome dose of the right attitude for the television landscape, but I'm fairly certain I shall never tire of Brooke Elliott's diva walk.

5 Things To Look Forward To In "Diva" Season 2

With the second season of my new favourite summer show, Drop Dead Diva, premiering Sunday on Lifetime, I thought I'd ask creator/showrunner Josh Berman what viewers have to look forward to this season. Here's what he had to say:

"1. More surprises - As Jane thinks she's got a handle on her new life, there are more surprises at every turn. I LOVE Brooke Elliott and she's better than ever.

2. More fantastic guest stars: Ricki Lake, Vivica A. Fox, Nancy Grace, Chad Lowe, Cybill Shepard are just a few of them. And the return of Rosie and Paula.

3. More singing and dancing! In fact, the official Drop Dead Diva soundtrack is being released on Amazon and I-Tunes on June 1st! There's an original song from Margaret Cho as well as a duet from Brooke Elliott and Margaret Cho, and an awesome rendition of "Baby, I Need Your Loving" by Ben Feldman. Speaking of Dancing, Thunder From Down Under does a dance number with Jane in a very special and funny episode.

4. Fred -- Jane's guardian angel is back full time -- as a series regular!

5. Family drama - Both Jane's mother and Deb's mother return! And we get to meet Jane's father for the first time."

The just-released soundtrack is available on iTunes and through Amazon.com. It's worth checking out just to hear the actors sing; (you may remember star Brooke Elliott's superb voice from karaoke at Jane's birthday party in one of my favourite episodes of season 1) .To order the CD online click here.

For more Drop Dead Diva coverage, here's our exclusive interview with Josh from the My TV Award Nominee Series. Be sure to follow us on twitter @mytvblog for our immediate reactions and check back after the season 2 premiere on Sunday for a full review.

Obsessions of March 23, 2010

My Theatre: My TV's new sister site, My Theatre premiered recently with reviews of Toronto's new hit My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding, a Conneticut Repertory Theatre Comedy of Errors and the national touring production of The Lion King. You'll also find a link to Jude Law's wonderful Hamlet-themed SNL monologue and a first-hand account of life as an actor charged with villainy from contributing author Jim Melo. Check in regularly for more from the world of theatre as the "My Entertainment World" family grows. www.mytheatreblog.ca


The return of United States of Tara: my second favourite Showtime show is back on the air (second only to the incomparable Dexter). Emmy winner Toni Collette returns in her powerhouse title role with all the wonderful supporting cast that made season one of Diablo Cody's heartfelt dramedy so memorable. This week's premiere episode has already started the season off in a promising direction.

Boston Rob: he was my favourite going in and has only risen in my estimation since the premiere of Heroes vs. Villains. Clearly the leader of his tribe, this Survivor veteran is too in control too early in the game to likely make it to the end but every week that he stays will be another week I love this season of Survivor (a show I have not watched faithfully since Rob's last appearance in the original All-Stars season).

Rowley: I'm not saying you should actually go see Diary of a Wimpy Kid, it's really just an ok movie at best. But if you do and come out of it not loving a kid named Rowley, something's wrong with you. Also, it needs to be said, Greg Heffley might be the worst role model I have ever seen on screen (then again, I've never seen a Miley Cyrus movie). 

The Amazing Race Cowboys: these charismatic sweethearts have proven themselves to be front-runners in an excellent season of the race. Surprisingly smart, daring as hell, cooperative, competitive and determined, Jet and Cord have everything they need to win the race (including the always helpful sibling relationship, a common race-winner).

Drop Dead Diva season one: I've been re-watching the show on my wonderful screener DVDs from Lifetime and am loving it now as much as (if not more than) I did the first time around.  It's even greater when you know the story of the show's creation. Read my interview with creator Josh Berman for the full scoop on the size 16 who carries herself like a supermodel. Season two premieres in June on Lifetime.

The Liam Triangle: Naomi is hands down the most interesting character on the new 90210 (though both Adrianna and Silver are plenty entertaining) and I'm usually rooting for her, but I think I may be on team Ivy in this one. Sure before the whole Jen thing Naomi and the incredibly hot Liam were perfect for one another but lately I really think that what the broody boy needs is a nice low-key surfer chick who just gets him.

The Actor's Shakespeare Project's Othello: Boston's premiere Shakespeare troupe conquered one of the bard's toughest tragedies with ease and artistry. Though Othello was outmatched by his cast mates (though cursed with an unsympathetically stupid character from the get go), Desdemona was breathtaking, Emilia heartrending and Iago thrilling.

Michael Imperioli: as I make my way through my Sopranos box set I find myself liking his character of Christopher more every episode. He quickly became the highlight of the series for me.


Bradley Whitford on The Sarah Silverman Program: I love to see my beloved Josh Lyman anywhere but the absurdity of him as a guest star on one of TV's oddest programs made me giggle delightedly.


Season 4 of Big Love: I know I never actually wrote about it (the fact that I missed the finale playing a definite part there) but I just want you to know that I loved this season every bit as much as its predecessors. Amy Acker is right, Big Love is the best thing out there.

Exclusive Interview: showrunner Josh Berman

The My TV Nominee series is back, this time for a conversation with the man behind the 4x My TV Award nominated series Drop Dead Diva. Read on to find out what the charismatic writer has to say about the best comedy series/best new show nominee, getting the series off the ground, life in the writers' room and his 2x nominated leading lady, Brooke Elliott. The sweet and delightfully generous Josh also drops an exclusive tidbit of news about a big guest star in the season premiere, officially announced here before anywhere else.

Take it away, Josh...

Can you describe the process of writing a typical episode?
Generally the other executive producer and I brainstorm an emotional arena for Jane to deal with then look for a legal case that will represent that well. We then take it to the writers room and weeks, sometimes months later we’ll have the story fully broken.

Wasn’t Drop Dead Diva originally conceived for FOX?
It was actually bought by FOX but before I had even finished writing it the writers went on strike. During the strike FOX dropped all their development so it became what’s called a “freeball” script. So we took it to Lifetime and they fell in love with it immediately so it was a no-brainer for them. They’ve been really supportive ever since.

Where did the idea for Drop Dead Diva come from?
It actually came from a low concept idea. It came from my grandmother, who’s name was actually Deb. She was a Holocaust survivor. She was overweight and only 4’11’’ but she acted like a supermodel after what she went through. So I just started thinking about how to represent my grandmother. So I thought of someone who looks like Jane but carries herself like Deb.

How involved are you in the day to day production of the series?
I work in LA and the show is produced in Georgia but I travel back and forth a lot. I’m actually heading there this week. So I’d say I’m very involved.

Perhaps my favourite thing about Drop Dead Diva is how you treat all your characters equally, holding them to the same standards as human beings with no special treatment or prejudice based on physical appearance or intellect. Is that something that’s important to you?
Absolutely. Stacey is just as insecure about her persona as Jane is, it just comes from a different place. In my experience, no one is without insecurity, so we try to represent that.

Fred was an early favourite among my writing staff, is there any chance we’ll be seeing him again in season 2? What was the reason for his sudden disappearance from season 1?
He’s a series regular now, he’ll be in every episode from now on. Viewers adore him and we love writing him. The only reason he left the show was that he had a deal to be in an ABC show. When it fell through I was on the phone with him right away, arranging for him to come back.

We at My TV were also really big fans of Jane’s boyfriend Tony. Will he be returning for season 2?
He’s definitely coming back. That relationship becomes crucial for Jane really early on in the season.

Is the man at the end of season 1 really Jane’s husband? Was that a twist you had planned all along or did it come to you mid-season?
Jane has a lot of secrets from Deb, and we’re constantly mining them. We always knew there’d be people from Jane’s life coming back, her husband just seemed like a natural choice. It’s definitely her real husband.

The finale also brought lots of ambiguity to Jane’s career. How will her decision to report the evidence last season affect her career?
We start the season with her having left her law firm. I don’t want to give anything away. There’s a big twist that you won’t see coming.

Season 1 featured a ton of great guest stars, is there anyone interesting signed on for season 2 already and are any old favourites returning?
There are lots of great things coming, we haven’t announced them yet. I can announce here for the first time that Paula Abdul will be in the season opener.

What are some things you think audiences would be surprised to learn about your cast?
How close they are. On a lot of shows actors are cordial but just do their own thing, but on Drop Dead Diva they really are close. Some of them live together. They’re all happy to be at work. I’ve never worked on a show before where actors will call me directly with ideas for their characters and the show. They are all very supportive.

If you could hire any anyone to come appear on your show who would it be?
Bette Midler or Cher.

Do you ever have time to watch TV? If so, what are your favourite shows of all time?
A lot in the legal genre: 'The Practice', 'Boston Legal'. I really liked 'Six Feet Under', when it was on. And 'The Office' is still funniest thing on TV.

Do you have any advice for an aspiring showrunner?
Learn all you can, work 7 days a week and learn everything you can about production.

Is there anything you’d like to add?
This show is on Lifetime and doesn’t always get very much attention. I’m just so grateful to sites like this that are really supportive of our show.

Winners of the 2009 My TV Awards will be announced and notified in March. Drop Dead Diva is nominated for Best New Show, Best Comedy, Best Actress in a Comedy (Brooke Elliott) and The Be-My-Best-Friend Award (Brooke Elliott).

The new season of Drop Dead Diva premieres in June on Lifetime.

Drop Dead Divas Abound

In one of the best episodes of the series so far, Drop Dead Diva went guest star crazy this week- in a completely non-annoying way.

First there was Rosie O'Donnell, reprising her oddly endearing role as a tough judge who's also one of Jane's closest friends.

Then came the doozy of a guest stint: Liza Minelli and Delta Burke as psychic sisters and clients of Kim and Grayson.

And to top it all off, my beloved Ben Feldman returned as my favourite character Fred (whom I thought had disappeared forever when he lost his job as Jane's guardian angel).

I love this show so much!

Why 'Drop Dead Diva' is Good for You

Sure there are lots of arguments to be made about the representation of overweight people on television. Until Brooke Elliott came along as the star of Lifetime's series about a skinny girl in a plus-sized body, it seemed that Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore girls, Samantha Who) was the only actress out there representing anyone over a size 2. Drop Dead Diva is remarkable for giving television its first young plus-sized leading lady, and for promoting themes of acceptance and what not, but what truly makes it remarkable is that it doesn't get caught up with their underdog trappings.

It would be so easy for Elliott's character Jane to become the ultimate "outsider" figure, the post-modern hero to whom society owes damages for emotional distress. Drop Dead Diva could, like so many before it *cough*Glee*cough*, take the stance that anyone who falls naturally outside of the confines of society's ideal is somehow superior, more genuine and more deserving of empathy than those who seem to have it all.

But Drop Dead Diva takes a more accepting stance. Yes, Jane is our hero and she is wonderful and smart and deserves to be seen as more than a fat girl: I'm on board, I like it, I especially like that her being deserving of good things seems to be contingent on the wonderful and smart thing, not on the fat girl thing.

But Jane isn't the be-all and end-all of empathy on Drop Dead Diva, even if she is the only prominent overweight character. Deb, the woman who has taken over Jane's body, and is, essentially, the main character (though she is played by Elliott and called Jane: I know, confusing), is a thin, pretty shallow girl who has her eyes opened in the pilot episode when she gets stuck with a size 16 frame. The principle arc that we're following, that's actually Deb's. So while she aesthetically has the makings of a teen comedy villain, Deb is actually the character the audience is rooting for, even if she is a skinny insider with a seemingly perfect life (pre-death, that is).

Similarly, Deb's best friend Stacy (the only other person who knows that Jane is Deb), is a simple girl who counts her calories, talks about eye shadow too much and spends all her time on the elliptical machine. But the show makes a point of showing that grass is never really greener. While Jane has struggled with people judging her for her weight, Stacy's perfect-seeming life has been coloured by the perpetual assumption that she's a dumb blond. And Stacy's a good person. She may not be my kind of person but you can see that she really is someone deserving of the audience's affection. Stacy accepts Jane into her life with open arms upon realizing that her best friend is in there somewhere, even if she isn't as pretty. That one act makes Stacy the role model for the affect the show should be having on its audience: love them anyway, whether they're fat or skinny or smart or dumb or don't own an eyelash curler.

At the law firm, the show further drives home its point with the contrasting characters of Grayson and Kim. Grayson, Deb's former fiancee, is both handsome and smart but respects Jane and loved Deb even though neither of them are both those things. Kim, a rival lawyer, on the other hand, is also attractive and intelligent but just happens to be a bitch- and everyone can see through that, making her a lonely villain among a cast full of would-be "insiders".

That's what sets Drop Dead Diva apart. It's not unique just for having an overweight female hero, it's unique for the way it treats all its characters. No one on Diva is given a free pass just because they're fat, or because they're pretty, or even because they're smart. Every single character has to earn the empathy of the audience by proving themselves as a deserving person, and so most of them do. It's the anti-postmodern outsider story, one that recognizes that everyone is on the outskirts of something, whether they're a size 2 or not.

PS: I would just like to put the argument out there that Brooke Elliott (Jane) is in fact substantially more attractive than Brooke D'Orsay (Deb), even with the extra weight.