With fans anxiously awaiting word on a renewal for Drop Dead Diva, TV Fanatic checked in this week with creator Josh Berman.

Why should Lifetime and Sony give this drama a fifth season? Berman has come up with five reasons. Let's hope executives are listening...

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New Jane vs. Old Jane?“We ended season four on a cliffhanger like we’ve never done before on the show,” said Berman, adding that Jane’s love life will be explored in a fifth season like never before. “There is a love triangle between Jane, Owen and Grayson yet with the added complication of old Jane returning.”

Big Drama! Raw Emotions! Berman explained that the season five “drama will be more heightened, the emotions more raw and the introduction of a woman (old Jane) that we’ve never met into this love triangle will enable me to tell stories in a very fresh and inventive way that hasn’t been done yet on Drop Dead Diva. It feels like everything has been leading up to season five.”

Passionate Fans Being an alumnus of such buzz-worthy shows as CSI and Bones, Berman knows Drop Dead Diva fans are special: “I’ve never seen anything like the fans for Drop Dead Diva,” he said. "They hang on every word of the show, they’re so excited about a new season.”

Besides recent YouTube videos supporting the show, there is also a "renew DDD" petition on the Web, so fans can let Lifetime know they’re serious about getting their fifth season. Yahoo also ranked DDD as a Top Ten search for TV comedies in 2012, alongside hits like The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family.

Big Names Want to Appear While we’ve seen Paula Abdul, Rosie O’Donnell, Kim Kardashian and Louis Van Amstel pop up on the show, more people than ever want to guest. “Once we were nominated for a Humanitas Award,” Berman explained, “we weren’t just a commercial show but actors started seeing this as a real destination place for them. I think with season five we’re going to have a whole new crew of guest stars who are going to help elevate the show even more.”

Ratings/DVR Numbers Live +3 (live airing rating, plus DVR viewing up to three days after) for Adults 18-49 are strong for the show and DDD even saw a 14% climb last season. DDD also continued to grow in its fourth season, even though it was airing against the Olympics and broadcast’s fall premieres.

Research shows that of 30 cable series that returned last year, only six (The Walking Dead, Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, Being Human and – you guessed it – Drop Dead Diva) actually saw growth in their year-to-year numbers. Impressive!

So there you have it, TV Fanatics. Do you want to see Drop Dead Diva Season 5? Make your voice heard!

We tried, Drop Dead Diva fans. But despite the pleas of TV Fanatic and creator Josh Berman, Lifetime has canceled this fun drama after four seasons.

The network made the announcement last night, as the series about a dead model stuck in the body of a larger lawyer made headlines over the years for including such guest stars as Serena Williams and Kim Kardashian. It also possessed one of the more passionate fan bases on television.

But that was not enough to warrant a fifth season, unfortunately.

Sony Pictures TV may still attempt to shop he program elsewhere and we'll keep readers apprised if its status changes.

So much for killing off Drop Dead Diva.

Weeks after Lifetime announced it had canceled this TV Fanatic favorite, the network shocked fans yesterday by announcing a dramatic change of course.

According to Deadline, Sony TV has devised a more feasible “financial model” for the series, helping it receive that elusive fifth season order.

No word yet on just when the Brooke Elliott dramedy will return or for how many episodes... but hooray! We'll update fans as more information comes in.

As announced late last week, Drop Dead Diva has been taken off life support, as Lifetime and Sony reached an agreement to air a fifth season later this year.

While there’s no official airdate, creator Josh Berman told us this morning that new episodes will be coming this summer. He also shared the inside scoop on the UN-cancellation of the beloved series, while giving us an idea of what we can expect going forward...

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TV Fanatic: Why couldn’t this have been figured out months ago before the show was actually cancelled? If you can talk about that…
Josh Berman: There’s nothing really that I can’t talk about because there’s nothing secretive about what happened. I think that no one could have anticipated the outpouring of support from our fans, which was nothing like I’d ever seen. There were tens of thousands of names on a petition to save the show, fans created videos and put them on YouTube, on Twitter we started trending for the first time off and on after the cancellation….although we always knew we had a loyal fan base, I think everyone was surprised how vocal and strong the fan base was and it was the fans that saved the show.

For me, being on hit shows – some of the most popular shows in the world – like CSI and Bones, you get accustomed to fans loving the show and seeing them online but I’ve never seen the passion and the feel of Drop Dead Diva fans in any show I’ve worked on.

TVF: The fact that Diva is trending on Twitter when new episodes aren’t even airing!
JB: It’s crazy! We haven’t been on the air for over six months but even when we’re off the air our numbers on Facebook continue to grow. I think what happens with a show like Drop Dead Diva, a lot of people discover it on Netflix. I think that’s why we continue to grow every year. It’s the kind of show that if you’ve watched a couple of season on Netflix you can easily catch up.

TVF: Did anything change during that time you thought you were cancelled? Were you thinking about a two-hour movie to wrap things up or an alternate plan?
JB: There were a lot of different options on the table. While we were cancelled, a handful of other networks quickly expressed interest in picking up Diva so it quickly became a decision not whether we were going to be cancelled or not but what we were going to look like after Season Four. It was always my first choice to stay on Lifetime. I felt like Lifetime gave birth to the show, it’s the home of the show and that was the biggest issue.

I never contemplated wrapping it up in a two-hour movie. I really just felt confident that there was going to be more life to the show, I just didn’t know where that would be and I’m thrilled that we’re back on Lifetime and I’m also excited that Lifetime is talking about multiple seasons beyond season 5 now that Lifetime and Sony have worked out, the financial arrangement.

TVF: So the new deal is for 13 episodes, right? And what’s the timing for production and seeing episodes?
JB: It’s 13 episodes, same as every year. We’ll start production probably in mid-to-late April and we’ll be back on the air this summer just like we are every year. I’m guessing sometime in June but I don’t know.

TVF: Normally when you get renewed, you know much earlier so are you behind the eight ball to get the episodes written?
JB: I’ll be really honest. During the negotiations to bring us back, I never stopped working. I’m actually perfectly positioned to get us back on the air in time.

TVF: For the fans, what can they expect in Season Five?
JB: I believe that the first four seasons served as a platform for Season Five but now the pieces are now all in place to tell the story I want to tell. I think you’re going to see our characters come into their own, which will make them more empowered but also more in conflict with each other. I think Jane is now fully content who she is as a human being but she made a huge mistake at the end of Season Four when she kissed Grayson in front of Owen. I think that sets up the conflict and the spine for Season Five. Jane is infallible and she has to live with the consequences of her actions and what great material for story!

I also think we have with Kim being pregnant and I’ve never been more excited to write as a season as I am for Season Five. There are so many good stories that it took four season to get my characters to a place where I can write the stories I want to tell for Season Five. I will say the thirteen episodes of Season Five already have a beautifully shaped arc that are going to leave the fans wanting more but feel like they’re really being rewarded for sticking with the show.

TVF: And will we be getting visits from other worldly types like Fred in the future?
JB: I’m never ruling out anything! Ben Feldman, who plays Fred, has an open invitation to return to the show. He joined us twice in Season Four so I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes back in Season Five. I also have been contacted by a bunch of actors while we were cancelled who made it very clear that if the show was picked up, they’d love to come and do an episode with us.

Drop Dead Diva - the series that was once left for dead - will premiere its unexpected fifth season on Sunday, June 23.

The series was canceled in January, only to be revived about six weeks later, much to the excitement of its loyal, passionate fan base.

The Season 5 premiere, meanwhile, will be titled "Back from the Dead" and center on Jane desperate searching for Owen, who disappeared after witnessing her kiss Grayson on the Drop Dead Diva Season 4 finale.

Lifetime will premiere its new drama, Devious Maids, immediately following this return.

Drop Dead Diva lives!

The show that fought back against cancelation premieres Season 5 on June 23, with creator Josh Berman telling TV Fanatic in March that fans of the series will see characters "come into their own" this summer," especially Jane, who is completely content with who she is "as a human being."

But what about that kiss with Grayson to conclude Drop Dead Diva Season 4? It sets up the "spine" of the Season 5 conflict, Berman teases.

Watch the first official trailer for new episodes now:

 

Drop Dead Diva Season 5 Promo

When Drop Dead Diva Season 5 kicks off on June 23, one familiar face will be missing:

The Wrap confirms that Josh Stamberg will not return to the Lifetime series as law firm managing partner Jay Parker, despite the reveal on the Season 4 finale that Kim Kaswell is carrying his child.

The casting decision was made for budgetary reasons.

Natalie Hall (Pretty Little Liars), meanwhile, will guest star on two episodes, though details on her role are being kept quiet.

Veteran actors John Ratzenberger and Sandra Bernhard will also stop by the fun Lifetime series.

Greetings from the Second Annual Austin Television Festival! I’m here moderating a couple panels (Falling Skies and Once Upon a Time) while just taking in the love for TV here in the heart of Texas. Watch my Tweets all weekend, as I’ll be posting what I’m seeing, who I’m talking to and more!

For now, let’s see what’s going on with three fan favorites that will be returning in the next few weeks...

DROP DEAD DIVA When the popular Lifetime series comes back with a new season on June 23rd, lawyer Kim Caswell has workplace (firm shakeups) and personal (preggers!) drama to deal with - but Kate Levering, who plays Kim, had nothing but joy when she got married in April with many of her Diva cast members in attendance. April Bowlby (Stacy) told me “the wedding was an all night party.”

Levering, who is also pregnant in real life, said of her Big Day (pictured, below): “It's a complete honor to have all your people, from all walks of life in the same place at the same time. I kept thinking, 'they're all here for us". It was an extremely emotional day for me, and I don't think it was just the pregnancy hormones."

But, getting back to Drop Dead Diva Season 5, Bowlby teased: “Last season Stacy started a new venture in her pakery and this season she will expand her horizons and relationships even further." Are you ready for more Drop Dead Diva?

PERCEPTION Scott Wolf will be a new face on this season as the ex of Rachel Leigh Cook’s Kate on TNT’s Perception and while his character of Donnie is not necessarily a nice guy, he told me “people tend to associate me with more on the nicer side. So to play people who run against that, it’s really good fun for me.”

The actor, still remembered as Bailey on Party of Five, added that Donnie definitely has designs on getting back together with Kate, which creates some tension for her relationship with Eric McCormack’s Daniel Pierce.

Wolf also played an unscrupulous journalist Chad Decker on V and doesn’t mind going against type: “When I have the good fortune to play morally compromised folks or at least broad characters, I think it creates a kind of fun tension for the audience because it’s unclear as to whether you ultimately like this person or not.”

You can judge for yourself if you take a liking to Wolf’s new character when Perception kicks off season 2 on June 25 on TNT.

MAJOR CRIMES Were you worried that just because The Closer is over that the Provenza/Flynn fun wouldn’t move over to Major Crimes? Never fear because GW Bailey (Provenza) told me on the set last week that an upcoming episode will give the twosome some time together: “It’s not exclusively about the two of us but it’s a situation that we get into and it actually isn’t our fault. We actually do a favor for someone we’re not even fond of, Emma (new regular Nadine Velazquez, playing an ADA), and it ends up a disaster and a mess and we’re in the middle of it…whoever’s closest to the flame is the one who gets burned. It’s a good episode.”

Bailey is also excited to work with guest star Tom Berenger, who’ll appear later this season as the long-absent husband of Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell). “Tom is an old friend of mine,” said Bailey. “We did a movie together almost 30 years ago – 29 years ago – called Rustler’s Rhapsody…when we saw each other on this we promised that we’d work together every 30 years.”

Major Crimes premieres Season 2 this Monday at 9 p.m. on TNT.

That’s a wrap for this week! Anything else you’re dying to know about your favorite show? Leave a comment here or you email me directly at jim@jimhalterman.com. And remember: follow @TVFanatic for all your TV scoop!

With a second lease on life after its cancellation was reversed, Drop Dead Diva is back tonight for a fifth season and there are changes afoot, both in the cast and where we find our returning characters.

During a recent visit to the show’s set in Atlanta, I grabbed some time with the cast to get the scoop on what we’ll see this season and how it feels to still be on the air.

Brooke Elliott: We pick up with Jane in a frazzled state and for good reason. “Jane is incredibly frightened that Owen is dead or missing,” Elliott said since Owen had a heart attack after seeing Jane kiss Grayson. But that’s not all since a certain soul decided to return at the end of last season. “[Jane] also doesn’t know if Old Jane’s soul is in Owen’s body…if she’s not in Owen’s body, where is Old Jane? And who’s got control of Old Jane?”

Elliott admitted that even though she did participate in pilot season for another gig upon hearing about the cancellation, she never truly believed that the show was done. “It was weird,” she explained. “I had this feeling, like, ‘I don’t think this … why do I think this isn’t canceled?’” Thankfully Sony and Lifetime were able to get a budget they could all work with and the show was back!

Jackson Hurst: Despite smooching with Jane in the finale, Grayson is not the man she chose so how does he deal with that?  “Grayson put it all out there for her and she basically shut him down,” the actor said. “He’s kind of in a vulnerable place so it allows him to open up for somebody else.” (Keep an eye on new addition Annie Ilonzeh, who joins the show later in the season as Jane’s new assistant).

Since things will be complicated with Jane, watch for Grayson to work more with Kim Kaswell. “Kate and I have worked together a lot this year,” he said. “I love working with her. We just [have] good chemistry. I mean, the outtakes are ridiculous because we’re just constantly busting on each other and just having fun.”

Lex Medlin: As for Owen in the new season? Well, as Medlin puts it, “he’s just hurt.” And while Medlin himself thinks Owen should forgive Jane, don’t expect things to be that easy in the first crop of episodes. That said, Jane and Owen still have to work together, which we’ll see in the season premiere. And without spoiling whether ‘Old Jane’ is in Owen’s body or not, Medlin did say with a grin, that he’d be up for the challenge. “As an actor, the idea of playing a woman is incredibly exciting to me.”

April Bowlby: Stacy may be moving on from her ‘Pakery’ business and may flirt with the dreamy new angel, Paul (Justin Deeley) but don’t expect a relationship like she had in earlier seasons with Ben Feldman’s Fred. In fact, Stacy’s main job in the start of the season is helping Jane get through her crisis. “I help her and I guide her but I'm always constantly on the fence as well and just presenting both options to her,” said the bubbly Bowlby. Watch for Stacy to embark on a personal project later in the season that could be life-changing for her.

Kate Levering: With Kim Kaswell and Levering both pregnant at the start of the season, where do we find the normally centered and in-control Kim? “I don’t think Kim knows what to do with herself pregnant,” Levering said. “She also is dealing with the Parker relationship…it leaves her in a situation that she never thought, in a million years, she would be in.” (As reported earlier, Josh Stamberg is not returning to the series).

Margaret Cho: The comedienne didn’t have much downtime when the show was cancelled. “I booked a whole European tour, Australia and New Zealand tour and then I had to cancel them completely,” she said. And despite standup comedy being her first job, she admitted, “it was a great thing to be able to come back.” As for Teri in the new season, watch for her to keep the office running, toss off her usual wisecracks and, a few episodes in, help Stacy in a situation involving the opposite sex.

Justin Deeley: The new angel may be sent down to help Jane but, new to the ripped, muscular body he finds himself in, Paul also happens to not wear clothes a lot of the time. “In his previous life,” the former underwear model explained, “[Paul] worked a little too hard. He took a lot of things for granted as far as life. And he's come back and he's got this body…he never really worked out and he never did that kind of thing. He's says, ‘Look at what I can do. Look how strong I am!’” In fact, for those who find the new angel physically appealing, he’ll be completely naked in the season’s third episode on July 7th.

Drop Dead Diva airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on Lifetime.

After some back and forth between Lifetime and Sony, Drop Dead Diva has finally come back to us. It was almost like someone hit the return button from the TV afterlife!

In "Back From the Dead" we picked up exactly where we left off on Jane's wedding day to Owen. At the tail end of the season 4 finale, Grayson came to see what was taking Jane so long and admitted his feelings before kissing her. Owen walked in and fainted while clutching at his chest.

For all intents and purposes, it seemed to the world like Owen was suffering a heart attack. After all, he had heart problems throughout Drop Dead Diva season 4.

Then we saw Old Jane push the return button, the shot moved back to Owen and he gasped for air like he was coming back to life. Now I understand there was a lot of red tape to deal with and the show was actually cancelled at a point before the season 5 official renewal, but it feels like we really went off course from whatever was the originally intended storyline.

Owen didn't just faint, get rushed to the hospital without Jane and then check himself out by the time she got there. No way would that be feasible especially for a heart patient. Then when he saw her he was eerily silent and just kind of casual like "Oh, I heard you were looking for me!" I get that the writers wanted to keep us on edge about whether or not Old Jane was going to take over Owen's body. So I have to ask:

Was the that original intent before the show had all the network drama? Was the storyline rewritten? What do you all think?

It seems that Jane is very clear at this point about wanting Owen back and being over Grayson. If only she had been clear before that kiss, eh? Well the kiss happened, Owen witnessed it and Jane's last hottie guardian angel Luke got fired. The good news? Jane's new guardian angel is even hotter. Played by Justin Deeley from 90210, Paul is sexy and he knows it! I have a feeling we're going to have a lot of fun with this one. Of course by we I mean me, the audience, Stacy and definitely Teri. 

Tonight's cases were both pretty good. Jane wouldn't have been able to get pulled out of her wedding drama for a lawsuit that didn't really tug at your heart strings. A dying kid who's medical trial was being pulled by the pharmaceutical company? Excuse me, I'm a little misty eyed. Kim's case was awesome for all women who dumped a douchebag only to find out he was an even bigger douchebag. Amen to that.

However, the moment of the episode goes to Jane meeting Old Jane, who might as well be the new Deb. What an interesting twist of fate. Jane hates what Deb did to her, hits the return button and now she's a Deb look alike! Can't wait to see how this all unfolds.

What did you think of the Drop Dead Diva season 5 premiere? Are you happy Diva is back? 

With a new lease on life in Drop Dead Diva Season 5, I can’t help but wonder if the show decided to hit the reset button on stories they thought they were going to tell this season.

Maybe it’s the budget cuts; maybe it’s a stipulation of Lifetime. Whatever the reasons, last season’s massive finale is basically written off at this point. The only item that remains is the love triangle.

"The Real Jane" brought Old Jane, now Brittney, back in the picture - but instead of taking everything New Jane holds dear like she said she would, Brittney just wants to close the one case that’s been bothering her all this time.

The more I think about these new developments, the more I like them. From past flashbacks throughout the series we’ve come to see “Brittney” as a woman that kept her nose down. She never rocked the boat and she always worked as hard as she could to get where she was. For her to want to enact revenge on Jane for something that was out of everyone’s control doesn’t make much sense.

If Deb never hit the return button, then Jane would just be in the ground. Instead, both women got second chances.

More than anything, it seems Britney’s original proclamation to take back her life are those first day jitters of coming back to life in a new body. Jane did the same with Deb’s old life. The longing to get as close as possible to what they both knew and felt comfortable around, but Jane’s best advice to Brittney was to make the most of their second chance.

At this point, they both found the courage to move on. Jane was able to show Brittney the ins and outs of her new body, while Brittney was comforted to see that her legacy is being carried on admirably. For all of their differences, both women are more alike then they would ever really admit.

Not everyone in the firm was able to get such a happy ending, though. Parker is now officially gone, and while the character has not been written out completely – he still has his shares – there’s not much he’ll come back to aside from a very mad Kim. It’s an unfortunate circumstance of the budget that Parker has to go. It’s sad that this is the way he is written out – essentially choosing one child over the other. It’s an impossible situation, but it’s still terrible.

The faceoff between Grayson and Owen is going to be awesome. I’m all for a rough and tumble love triangle, and while I’m ultimately rooting for Grayson to win, I’m in no rush to see the resolution (although I would probably place my money on the resolution happening this season). Seeing the two guys sparring today was plenty of fun.

Jane is trying her best with them, but, deep down, I don’t think there’s any question which man her heart really wants. Brittney could see which man she wanted, and she’s only really known Jane for a day.

It is a season of reinvention and second chances, after all.

Odds and Ends

• Someone call RuPaul! Layana DeSheets is one awesome drag queen. I hope she makes a return visit. I don’t want to see her sashay away.
• No Guardian Absel Angel Paul tonight. Which is unfortunate because I wanted to see him interact with Brittney.
• I did not care for the AG. You would think he would be willing to look into the evidence further.

With Parker out of the office (and off the show), the law firm needed someone to step up and take over. On the latest episode of Drop Dead Diva. Kim made a huge call and hired Owen to be a partner at the firm.

Needless to say, "Surrogates" brought a lot of tension to the workplace.

Up until this point, Jane and Owen still haven't really confronted each other much about what happened at the wedding. What Jane said to Owen at the end was right. More than anything she just wanted him to speak to her. Even if it was yelling, which is something Owen deserved to do, the silence was what was weighing on Jane the most.

The conversation that followed was heartbreaking, but truthful and necessary. If Owen won't be able to move past what took place between Jane and Grayson, it's time for them to move on - especially now that they're working together! Owen's been finding little ways to make his hurt known. In last week's "The Real Jane," Owen took over as the judge on Grayson's case to make him uncomfortable.

Here, he assigned Jane to a woman whose fiance dumped her two days before the wedding. He wanted her to seek emotional damages, not just monetary. Owen wanted Jane to explain this woman's pain and make the jury feel how heartbroken she was. He even ended up letting Pam, the jilted fiance, give her own closing. It was definitely sad and it was definitely a turning point. She realized that she and Owen needed to face the music.

In the words of Barbara Corcoran, known to Stacy as just the mean businesswoman who bought her pakery:

Grow up or give up. | permalink

I definitely don't mean it as harshly as Barbara did, but the underlying message was important. Jane and Owen could grow from what happened or they just have to give up and move forward. Unfortunately it looks like they are going towards the "give up" route.

Other Notes:

• Guardian Angel Paul is a total hottie! But also a total novice on the job.
• Kim had a strong case, but her feelings for it were definitely enhanced by Parker leaving her.
• How did Owen just become a partner that quickly? Doesn't really add up.

What did you all think of this week's Drop Dead Diva? What do you think of Owen becoming a partner? Are Owen and Jane over for good?

Did Grayson do something terrible in a past life or something? Because he's having the luck of a dung beetle in this one, at least when it comes to his love life.

"Cheaters" once again dangled the possibility of Jane and Grayson in front of Drop Dead Diva fans... only to rip it away.

Let's just discuss Grayson's love life overall for a moment:

First, he loses the love of his life in a tragic car accident. Then, he falls for Jane as she's about to get married. One kiss was so against the universe's laws that Owen almost dropped dead. What is the point of the whole clause that says if Jane ever gets together with Grayson terrible things will happen?

There's no point and it hurts two people. I don't think I've been this sad about Jane and Grayson since the episode when he had the pianist at the bar play the song from Ghost to see if she really was Deb reincarnated. Of course "Unchained Melody" is an incredibly emotional song on its own, but still that scene just gutted me. 

Don't get me wrong, I really like Owen but I'm also so sick of keeping those two apart. As for Owen... when is he going to stop with his biting remarks? He has every right to be angry and bitter but then why bother taking a job at Jane's firm. Some of his comments are just exasperating. Is he going to punish her forever? 

In my experience the people who appear least likely to cheat are the ones you gotta watch out for. | permalink

The cases on this episode weren't exactly riveting. To be honest, the whole Adderall one was a joke. Don't get me wrong, the abuse of prescriptions is very realistic - but is some mom really going to jail because they think she shared her prescription with her son? It felt like a reach, illegal or not.

What do you think of Stacy's plan to have a baby? Are you enjoying Paul as the latest guardian angel? I find him very entertaining. Hit the comments with your thoughts on the latest Drop Dead Diva!

Jane may have gone after a client for a questionable reason on this week's Drop Dead Diva - but it's a good thing she did!

In "Secret Lives," Grayson called Jane out for going after a possibly guilty baseball player just to impress the boss. But who's boss exactly was she trying to impress? The owner of the LA Guardians or her own boss, ex-fiance Owen French?

While it was initially obvious that Jane took initiative to land Scott as a client because she wanted to get the LA Guardians to sign with them, a second glance told us that the person she was really trying to impress was Owen. Grayson figured this out quickly, much to his dismay. Jane flubbed up that first meeting so badly she knew that Owen nor the team owners would be interested if she did make some moves.

By the way, what team owners would ever keep a baseball signed by Babe Ruth just laying on a conference room table? A keepsake like that should be in a protective display case that's kept locked. Haven't the Rhodes ever seen The Sandlot? C'mon! 

By Jane investigating and offering to represent Scott, she killed two birds with one stone. Little did she know that Franklin Rhodes, the team owner she was trying to show off for, would turn out to be the real killer! I'm glad she did end up representing Scott because she was able to do him a justice that perhaps a lesser lawyer wouldn't have. She also has Teri, the best assistant and sidekick a girl could ask for. Besides, no one on the show has better lines that Teri.

Okay I’ll sneak into the locker room and pose as a man to get evidence. If I put my hair up and take my boobs down, I think I can pass. | permalink

Teri even helped Stacy with her sperm donor quest this week. I hate to break the news to good ol' Stac, but no guys is going to be 100% perfect. You don't pass on a donor because he neglected a call from his mother. Maybe they were fighting or there was legitimately good reason for him to hit ignore. The point is, Stacy knew deep down that a donor wasn't the right path for her. It should be really interesting to see who she ends up choosing to ask. Don't you kind of wish Fred could be the baby daddy? 

Unfortunately, I haven't found myself too interested in Kim's storylines lately. Maybe it's because she drags her unresolved Parker anger into every one of her cases. Don't get me wrong, she has every right to be angry, but the constant cloud of Parker drama is just boring already. 

What do you all think of Grayson getting over Jane by getting under guest star Annie Ilonzeh? Should Grayson start dating outside the office or are they a good match? Do you think Owen and Jane finally have a shot of reconciling? Hit the comments with your thoughts on this week's Drop Dead Diva!

This was the best episode of Drop Dead Diva I've seen in a really long time. "Fool for Love" featured the perfect balance of personal issues and a really engaging case.

It also brought back a past guest star to add a little extra spice. Welcome back, Vanessa!

As great as it usually is to see a face from the past, I was equally glad to see Kim whoop Vanessa's butt in court. Aside from winning her client's case, she also provided a little extra revenge for Grayson, who Vanessa once left at the altar. I also hate snobby new mothers and I didn't want Kim to feel even worse since she's been so down about Parker. That ending scene with Paul swooping in with the Bugaboo was perfect. You gotta love a good "swoop in" that tells your adversary to screw off!

I did find it really interesting that Vanessa brought up Jane and Owen's split when she was speaking with Grayson at the bar. I wonder if Vanessa always picked up that there was a special connection between Jane and Grayson. Just when it seemed like the writers were putting the nail in the Jane/Grayson coffin a few weeks ago, there was that whole spark ordeal tonight. Stacy said when there's chemistry, you can literally feel it. You get that rush just from brushing up against someone. So was this for real or are we blaming this one purely on static cling? 

Jane and Owen worked really well together this week. I'm glad they were able to find a way to do so. The case with the Professor who almost got Catfished was just awesome. I totally didn't see the twist coming that it was his one of his assistants who was talking to him and the other assistant who set him up to get searched at the airport for meth. Plus, the fact that Beth was posing as some model with Deb's picture? That was perfect.

Just one hitch: if Jane is such a great lawyer, how come she was stuck on the case and it took Stacy like 10 seconds on Google to find "Melody's" picture? Then again, Stacy definitely isn't wise about everything. Thinking her best friend's ex fiance should be her sperm donor? Bad idea!

Stacy: I found a guy who is kind, stable, ambitious, intelligent, funny, and attractive.

Jane: So you're telling me you met George Clooney? | permalink

I wonder how everything will turn out with Jane and Stacy, they never stay in a fight for too long. Then again, will Stacy go ahead and approach Owen without her permission? And what about Jane and Grayson's spark?

This week's Drop Dead Diva really tugged at the heartstrings of longtime Jane and Owen fans. In "Missed Congeniality," the issue of Stacy and the sperm donor reached its peak.

So did she find a solution? Read on to find out!

I have to say after hearing out both sides of this argument, I am still staunchly on Team Jane. As Teri so eloquently put it:

That violates every rule of friendship. No way, no sperm, no how! | permalink

I know in the end Jane came around and was the bigger person and did the selfless thing and for that I commend her. I'm not sure I could've ever found the strength Jane did, especially after Stacy completely went behind her back. It was ballsy enough that Stacy was asking for Jane's ex-fiance's sperm to begin with... then she lied and told Owen that Jane gave her blessing when she originally didn't. 

Do you think Owen made his decision thinking he had Jane's blessing the whole time? I know Jane's speech at the end made it clear she was okay if he said yes, but she also said that she still wanted to be with him and start a family of their own one day. Either way, his decision to to be Stacy's donor made it very clear that he and Jane were O-V-E-R. When he nodded to Jane as she hugged Stacy, my heart broke a little for Jane.

Enter into that equation that Grayson is on his way to making his relationship with guest star Annie Ilonzeh more serious. It was all just crappy timing, but Grayson deserves to be happy too and Jane had said no to him. Such a tangled web! 

It was nice to see Kim mend fences with her father when she took his case. Maybe he wasn't there for her when she was growing up, but hopefully they will be able to make up for that lost time now that he will be moving in. It goes to show how Kim has grown as a character and is moving past her abandonment issues and sadness with Parker.

What did you think of Jane's beauty pageant case? Were you laughing when she wanted to get Anderson Cooper on the phone? I think it really triggered old memories for her and that's why she felt so upset when she originally thought she was lied to. Hit the comments with your thoughts about this week's Drop Dead Diva!

There's nothing this TV critic loves more than when characters from one of my favorite show show up on another. So you can only imagine how excited I was to see one of the greatest mamas from One Tree Hill guest starring on this week's Drop Dead Diva!

The former Karen Roe (Moira Kelly) played an erotic romance novelist whose story was ripped off by a big publishing house in "50 Shades of Grayson."

As weird as it was to see Kelly in a role that had her talking about orgies and sex diaries, it was a really fun case and I enjoyed Kim's reaction to everything. She was so immersed in her client's world that it surprised Grayson, which gave me a chuckle. 

Best of all was that Kim insisted on finishing her case even after her water broke and she went into labor. I can't think of many people who would be committed enough to a case to gave their closing argument via Skype from the delivery room. Kim at the hospital post labor was really the crux of the whole episode. It's when Stacy finally got artificially inseminated via Owen's contribution, Kim and Owen found out that Parker was selling the firm, Grayson and Nicole had a serious relationship talk and Jane almost confessed her feelings to Grayson.

Wait, hold the phone.... Haven't we been told for five seasons now that if Jane tells Grayson she loves him that something will go horribly wrong? Where was her guardian angel? I just don't like that there's no consistency to this storyline. I would love to see Jane and Grayson explore things FINALLY, but what's the deal? Is it allowed to happen according to the universe? 

As Teri bluntly told Jane:

This is about Grayson, it's always been about Grayson, it's always gonna be about Grayson. | permalink

Also, I just want to say that if Jane didn't feel a spark with that lawyer from San Diego, it was because he was pushy and he had a shady agenda. No random lawyer is just hanging around the courthouse and offering their services and help on a sudden whim. I could sniff something out from the second we met him. Moreover, my recent foray into the world of friends getting married has taught me that NO ONE would have their bachelor and bachelorette parties two nights before the wedding. Too much can go wrong!

All in all, a pretty good season finale. I'm excited for Drop Dead Diva to return in October and not have to wait until next summer! What did you all think of the finale? Hit the comments! 

Following a long hiatus, Drop Dead Diva Season 5 returns tonight for its final run of episodes. What can viewers expect from this fun Lifetime hit?

The firm is still in danger since Parker has put his portion up for sale - and with Owen at the helm while Kim is on maternity leave, can the company stay together in one piece? Also, while Jane tries to keep things together – especially when her actions in court could cost the firm everything – viewers will see that forces come from all sides to split our gang apart.

In tonight’s case, Grayson represents a young man (played by Douglas Smith from Big Love) who claims that he’s a vampire and is forcibly removed from a commercial flight.

“The episode is my way of tackling the issue of bullying without being too on the nose,” creator Josh Berman told me. “I believe that being a vampire in the episode is a metaphor for being any minority, including being gay. So I'm really proud of that story.”

Of course, besides the case of the week, there are also more than a few matters of the heart, including Jane still freaking over having seen Grayson kissing assistant Nicole. Stacy is bursting with hope  that she’s pregnant with sperm donated by Jane’s ex, Owen, but things get a little less cheery when she receives a legal document about their potential baby that has her anything but excited. And make sure to stick around for the last few minutes for a few classic Drop Dead Diva shockers that will lead us into the coming episodes!

And, as always, there are the guest stars. Watch for familiar faces in these next episodes that include Jaleel White, Nancy Grace, Sharon Lawrence, Illeanna Douglas, Peri Gilpin, E’s Jason Kennedy, Rebecca Mader, Doug Savant, Richard Kind and Tony nominee Faith Prince.

Who’s excited for the rest of Season 5? Berman, for one: “I honestly think these are the best five episodes in the history of the show. Lots of emotion and we allow the characters to have shades of gray instead of black and white.”

And, as Berman teased, watch for things to be anything but boring: “As you will see, there are some huge plot turns and deeper character development. Stacy has a real arc over these last five [episodes] and the cliff hanger will be incredibly satisfying but also leave the viewers screaming for more episodes!”

Drop Dead Diva airs Sundays at 9 p.m. followed by the new series Witches of East End.

Drop Dead Diva returned for its fall premiere with an episode that was a bit all over the place. When we left off in "50 Shades of Grayson," Jane was determined to tell Grayson her feelings, only to walk in on him kissing Nicole.

In "Trust Me," it seems that Jane was still very much haunted by the visual of Grayson and Nicole. Unfortunately, she's having sex nightmares about them!

We should probably just quickly discuss the end of the episode when Jane broke down crying about Grayson. She told Paul that her whole life isn't about work. As happy she was in her career progression, she was still upset by Grayson's forthright admission that he and Nicole were together. Now it was confirmed. When he added that he could only take Jane's rejection so many times, it really drove the pain home.

Paul didn't seem to understand why Jane couldn't go after Grayson. He obviously wasn't given the guardian angel handbook that said she wasn't allowed to be with him because he was Deb's soulmate and bad things would happen if she disrupted the universe's plans...or something like that. Well Paul, the wild child that he is, isn't keen on sticking to the rules. Or maybe the writers just decided that five years later it was a stupid idea to not let the main couple be together.

Look Jane, I don’t care about the rules. Life is short. If you don’t like the rules, then let’s make new ones. | permalink

It also doesn't appear that Jane is going to end up with Owen. I'm glad those two ended up being able to be civil and even friendly for the majority of the episode and I'm glad Owen admitted that he liked working with her. Her meltdown in court was not all acting. C'mon, girlfriend, you're just lying to yourself if you think that! Then there was the other moment at the end of the episode...the moment that had me yelling "No! No! No!" and shaking my finger at my TV: Stacy and Owen kissed.

Girl code is one rule I do firmly believe in. I'm still not comfortable with the whole idea of Owen sperminaitng Stacy, but I guess it's too late for that now that she's officially knocked up. Could these two have a chance? Would Jane ever be able to handle it? 

One thing I do know is that as partner Jane is bound to have a lot more on her plate. Either way, it's still really exciting that our girl was made partner! It was about time Parker and his annoying liaison got out of there. 

The last important order of business to discuss was the ridiculous vampire case in this episode. I know vampires have been all the rage for the past few years, but now it's just getting old. I felt bad for Kieran and the bullying he went through in school. I totally understand his need to fit in somewhere and find his niche. The case just seemed really silly and trivial. At this point, we know the Drop Dead Diva writers can do better. 

So what did you think of the return of Drop Dead Diva? Do you agree that it felt a little disjointed? What do you think will happen in upcoming episodes? 

Wild, crazy chocolate sex can be dangerous... but so was Jane’s look of betrayal on "The Kiss."

It’s understandable that Jane would be shaken up over Stacy and Owen finding comfort and passion in each other’s arms and perhaps the former should have confided in Jane earlier about her feelings and desire to pursue them. However, Jane has no right to be selfish and invoke the girl code on Stacy (I’m sure Leigh will be upset with me).

Stacy has done a lot for Jane: keeping her secret; constantly lending a ear and a shoulder; and trying to mend things up with Grayson. Frankly, Stacy has earned every right to follow her feelings with Owen and Jane just needs to take a step back and examine why she’s so upset over it. Jane’s been nursing a broken heart and trying to cool down her hot mess of a life and it’s probable that a lot of her anger at Stacy and Owen is Jane just wanting to find love again.

Grayson – a man who ran after Jane and got summarily rejected – has moved on and now Owen – a man nursing his own whiplash after a whirlwind engagement to Jane – is starting to move on too. That leaves Jane left out and mostly alone.

I do want to give Drop Dead Diva Season 5 some commendation for having the guts to write this kind of story. Relationships are constantly being tried and tested, but those relationships are typically between Jane and a man. It’s usually Jane and Stacy that are on constantly solid footing and their friendship tends to survive even when their outside lives are not.

If Jane and Paul are willing to make some new rules instead of sticking to the old guardian angel handbook (therefore bending the very rules of life), then surely there’s some wiggle room for rewriting of the girl code amongst best friends.

The cases this week were the typical Drop Dead Diva fare. I found Frank Inc. to be a time sink for Grayson. It completely pulled him out of the main story. However, as much as I love Grayson, tonight wasn’t about him; and with the way things went down, it was probably best he was nowhere in sight.

The crazy chocolate sex couples, however, were pretty interesting. Just taking one look at the couples and you knew the swap was beneficial to all parties. The two headstrong spouses were better suited for each, as were the two quieter, softer-spoken couples. These pairing also brought along Old Jane’s therapist bearing new information about Old Jane’s five-year plan and I’m confident Jane can do Old Jane justice with the plan.

Finally, there's Paul. It's about time that he's given a little bit more to do aside from taking his shirt off (not that that's not enjoyable). He's trying his best to help Jane move on and the guy he sets her up with certainly looked good on paper until he stole Jane's car.

What are your thoughts on Jane and Stacy? Should girl code be enforced?