CHEERS FOR “DROP DEAD DIVA”

I read elsewhere (because it’s gotten almost NIL attention locally) that the Lifetime series shot in Peachtree City this summer has wrapped production on its first 13-episode season and appears to be a hit. The show, created by Josh Berman of “CSI” fame, is surprisingly good — smartly written, well-acted and nicely crafted. Though the story is set in L.A., PTC makes a convincing double. You'd never know the series is shot on sound stages at Falcon Field and not in Burbank! Which of course begs the question: What's the impact of "Diva" on the local economy? In these times, it can only be good! And will it return?

Oddly, I still find few locals who know anything about “Diva” — despite significant coverage in the AJC and national media. For example, an AP photo of series guest star Paula Abdul “on set in Peachtree City, Ga.” has been used hundreds of times in recent weeks by outlets around the world as her contract dispute with “American Idol” played out. And around the time "Diva" debuted, the alternative press had a field day interviewing Margaret Cho – self-proclaimed poster goddess for California’s failed gay-marriage initiative — and her unfortunate professional “exile” in ultra-conservative, homophobic Peachtree City, Ga. (In a hilarious Q&A with the national GLBT magazine The Advocate, in fact, Cho spent considerable time bemoaning how awful it was being forced to workout alongside bigots and hate-mongers at the PTC World's Gym!)

Nevertheless, the show has clearly influenced our region’s emerging potential as the next “Hollywood.” And how do you put a pricetag on that? In case you didn’t notice, the entertainment industry has all but abandoned California — a “disaster of epic proportions,” as they can only say out west. For the very latest:

The Independent

And where is.....

Submitted by Cyclist on Mon, 08/17/2009 - 6:57pm.

diva/Hack? I wish he would come back!
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