There’s something about a show that gets canceled, then revived, only to be canceled again — it makes you wonder what really happened. Drop Dead Diva, the Lifetime legal comedy-drama about a model who gets a second chance inside the body of a brilliant plus-size lawyer, ran for six seasons between 2009 and 2014, building a loyal following but facing a bumpy road behind the scenes.
Seasons: 6 ·
Episodes: 78 ·
Original Network: Lifetime ·
Original Run: July 12, 2009 – June 22, 2014 ·
Genre: Legal comedy-drama / fantasy ·
Starring: Brooke Elliott
Quick snapshot
1Confirmed facts
- Six seasons, 78 episodes aired on Lifetime from 2009–2014 (Wikipedia (encyclopedic reference))
- Initially canceled after season 4 in January 2013 (Deadline (Hollywood trade news))
- Revived for season 5, then renewed for a final 13-episode season 6 (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (regional news))
- Liza Minnelli guest-starred in season 4 episode “The Diva Who Came to Dinner” (Wikipedia (encyclopedic reference))
2What’s unclear
- Exact viewership numbers for later seasons are not publicly confirmed (Wikipedia (encyclopedic reference))
- The reason for the abrupt finale cliffhanger has not been officially detailed (Wikipedia (encyclopedic reference))
- Netflix’s complete regional catalog changes are not documented in one source (JustWatch (streaming aggregator))
- The specific financial details of the cancellation are not publicly available (Wikipedia (encyclopedic reference))
3Timeline signal
- July 12, 2009: Series premiere on Lifetime (Wikipedia (encyclopedic reference))
- January 2013: Initial cancellation announced (Deadline (Hollywood trade news))
- June 2013: Season 5 premieres after revival (Wikipedia (encyclopedic reference))
- June 22, 2014: Series finale airs (Wikipedia (encyclopedic reference))
4What’s next
- Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, select Netflix regions, and The CW free tier (JustWatch (streaming aggregator))
- No reboot or revival announced (Wikipedia (encyclopedic reference))
- Complete DVD set available from Mill Creek Entertainment (Wikipedia (encyclopedic reference))
Eight key facts, one pattern: the show’s production history is a story of near-death experiences. Here’s the full breakdown.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Original network | Lifetime |
| Original release | July 12, 2009 – June 22, 2014 |
| Number of seasons | 6 |
| Number of episodes | 78 |
| Genre | Legal comedy-drama/fantasy |
| Created by | Josh Berman |
| Starring | Brooke Elliott, Margaret Cho, Jackson Hurst, Kate Levering, April Bowlby |
| Theme music composer | Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman |
