Drop Dead Diva: The Complete First Season

This Lifetime original series could be described as the L.A. branch of Boston Legal by way of Legally Blonde and Touched By an Angel. When a vapid model dies in a car accident, she returns to earth in the body of recently deceased (and decidedly plus-sized) attorney Jane Bingum (stage veteran and TV newcomer Brooke Elliott). With all of the intellect (and appetite) of her earlier self, but none of the memories (she claims amnesia), the new Jane uses her savvy understanding of beautiful-people culture as her courtroom ace in the hole. Margaret Cho co-stars as Teri, Jane's exceedingly organized and helpful assistant, while April Bowlby is her best friend Stacy. The roster of guest stars includes Rosie O'Donnell (in a recurring role as an acerbic judge and former mentor to the old Jane), Liza Minnelli and Delta Burke (as psychic sisters), Sharon Lawrence, Kathy Najimy, and Nia Vardalos, with Tim Gunn and Paula Abdul playing themselves in dream sequences. Drop Dead Diva is a breezy, cliché-ridden, but also occasionally enjoyable series that combines familiar legal drama (and its attendant professional conflicts and romantic travails) with an underlying message about identity and body-image issues. Compiling all 13 episodes from the 2009 first season, DVD extras include a self-congratulatory series overview featurette, three bonus “Dreamisode” shorts, seven deleted scenes, and more. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)