Maurissa Tancharoen

The title of Drop Dead Diva, a series due July 12 (Lifetime, 9 p.m. ET/PT), sets up its premise: Vapid blond model Deb (Brooke D’Orsay) is killed in a car accident but returns to life in the body of smart, plus-size attorney Jane Bingum (Brooke Elliott).

It’s a cross between Freaky Friday and Heaven Can Wait that creator Josh Berman (CSI, Bones) calls a "life-affirming" dramedy. Initially horrified at her new body, Deb finds the meaning of inner beauty as she summons the smarts to juggle legal cases, aided by her assistant (Margaret Cho), and reconnects incognito with her still-grieving boyfriend.

In Hollywood, "beauty has been defined as size 2 and under 25; hopefully we can help redefine the paradigm," Berman says. D’Orsay reappears in flashbacks as Deb/Jane "remembers who she was and discovers who she is."

The 13-episode series, a companion for Army Wives, was initially developed for Fox and is being shot in Peachtree City, Ga.