Never mind the ridiculous title or the Kirstie Alley-ish premise: Drop Dead Diva is another bull's eye from Lifetime, which has shown a surprising sense of humor ever since they decided to revamp their image from women in peril to something a little more contemporary.

You know you're in good hands when the involved story is dealt with in the pilot's first 15 minutes: Shallow Deb and plus-sized lawyer Jane both die, and thanks to her sense of entitlement, Deb ends up in Jane's body. Those first 15 minutes are a whirlwind of exposition, but how nice to not spend the whole pilot waiting for what we already know is coming.

More importantly, Drop Dead Diva isn't willing to wallow in Deb's dismay at being bigger than a size zero. She may be upset that her taut body is gone, sure, but more importantly, she's furious at the way people treat her as Jane. Gone are the days of inspiring awe and jealousy in the women around her—Deb now finds herself battling the office's resident mean girl for both her career and her former boyfriend. Because, of course, the day Deb died her boyfriend was hired to work at Jane's firm (I told you the plot was involved). So the question hanging over this season, at least, is whether Deb can make her boyfriend fall in love with her all over again.

In addition to the famous guest stars announced for upcoming episodes (including Rosie ODonnell, Paula Abdul, Delta Burke, and Liza Minnelli), Drop Dead Diva already boasts a sterling cast. Margaret Cho has dialed down her tartness as Jane's assistant, admirably rolling with Jane's sudden "memory lapse" without asking too many questions, and Kate Levering is a bitch supreme as skinny Kim, Deb's new rival in Jane's office. But it's Brooke Elliott as Jane/Deb who really shines, taking the Freaky Friday meets Legally Blonde storyline and running with it. Watching her discover how Deb's self-confidence translates to Jane's life (especially when she outs Kim for having a "Frauda" bag) is both hilarious and touching. Drop everything Sunday nights for Drop Dead Diva.

Drop Dead Diva airs on Lifetime at 8pm on Sundays.

Photo courtesy of myLifetime.com.