A little bit of Drop Dead Diva drama played out in the gym of McIntosh High School Thursday afternoon as a scene was filmed for the show’s sixth and final season on the Lifetime cable network.
Slated for airing on episode six, the scene featured the Atlanta Hawks cheerleaders in a scenario where a cheerleader gets into a tiff with another, pitches a pom-pom tossing fit and storms off the
court … to the sarcastic applause of the audience at a basketball game.
Episode six is slated to air in mid-May, and the show will center around the aggrieved cheerleader, who is expected to file a lawsuit of course given the legal theme of the drama series. The season premiere is March 23 at 9 p.m.
Drop Dead Diva was once the top-rated show on Lifetime. Filming at locations all over town and on its soundstage in an aircraft hangar at Falcon Field Airport, the show is part of what opened the door for Pinewood Atlanta Studios to become a reality here.
Drop Dead Diva meanwhile has had a positive economic impact for the county, noted Emily Poole, the business retention and expansion manager for the Fayette County Development Authority.
“On behalf of the development authority we are honored to have Diva shooting in Fayette County and we are excited about them being a part of our community,” Poole said. “Diva’s an important industry … it’s really great to have them here.”
The show has shot at different homes in the area, local restaurants and the like. Poole noted how especially early on it was fun to watch the show and spot the local locations that served as the backdrop for scenes.
The show also has a bit of a reputation for using a wide range of guest stars from Liza Minnelli to tennis ace Serena Williams and more.
In photo above right, a cheerleader character on the sixth episode of ‘Drop Dead Diva’ storms off the court at McIntosh High School Thursday afternoon during the filming of a scene. The show has spent much of its annual $20 to $25 million budget locally, netting a significant impact. Photo/John Munford.
