Lifetime has announced that season four of their legal dramedy Drop Dead Diva will kick off on Sunday, June 3rd. The cable channel ordered 13 new episodes last September.

The regular cast will once again be joined by numerous guest stars like Kim Kardashian, Serena Williams, John Ratzenberger, Patty Duke, Megyn Price, Emily Rutherford, Jake T. Austin, Brandy Norwood, and Valerie Harper.

It’s expected that season four will finish airing on August 26th.

Here’s the press release from Lifetime:

SEASON FOUR OF LIFETIME’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED HIT SERIES “DROP DEAD DIVA” TO DEBUT SUNDAY, JUNE 3, WITH GUEST STAR KIM KARDASHIAN

Breakout Star Brooke Elliott And Ensemble Cast Return For 13 New Episodes Along With New Series Regulars Carter MacIntyre and Lex Medlin

Additional Guest Stars This Season Include Serena Williams, Brandy Norwood, John Ratzenberger, Patty Duke and Valerie Harper Among Others

LOS ANGELES, CA (April 24, 2012) – Lifetime’s critically acclaimed hit series, Drop Dead Diva, returns for a fourth season with 13 new episodes premiering Sunday, June 3, at 9pm ET/PT. Joining the series’ roster of top name guest stars is Kim Kardashian (Keeping Up with the Kardashians) who makes her multiple episode debut in the season opener. The one-hour, comedic drama tells the story of a shallow wannabe model who dies in a sudden accident only to find her soul resurfacing in the body of a brilliant, plus-size and recently deceased attorney, Jane. Produced by Sony Pictures Television, Drop Dead Diva features breakout star Brooke Elliott (Wicked, Taboo), Margaret Cho (Dancing with the Stars, Notorious C.H.O.),Jackson Hurst (Living Proof), Kate Levering (Cashmere Mafia), April Bowlby (Two and a Half Men) and Josh Stamberg (Lie to Me). Carter MacIntyre (Undercovers) and Lex Medlin (Southland) join the ensemble cast as series regulars.

Currently in production in Atlanta, Drop Dead Diva’s season four begins with Jane (Elliott) and Owen (Medlin) enjoying a Roman Holiday in Italy while back at home the firm is on shaky ground under Kim’s (Levering) leadership. Teri (Cho) is dispatched to bring Jane home to take on a lucrative murder case while Grayson (Hurst) comes to terms with his new feelings for Jane. Meanwhile, following the devastating news of Grayson and Stacy (Bowlby) kissing in last season’s finale, Fred (Ben Feldman, Mad Men) moves on with a new girlfriend, leading Stacy to turn to famed relationship guru, Nikki LePree (Kardashian), for love advice.

Some of the other notable guest stars this season include Serena Williams, John Ratzenberger, Patty Duke, Megyn Price, Emily Rutherford and Jake T. Austin, among many others. Brandy Norwood and Valerie Harper return to reprise their roles from season three.

DropDead Diva: The Complete Third Season arrives on DVD Tuesday, May 29th.

ABOUT DROP DEAD DIVA

In Drop Dead Diva, beautiful-but-vapid model wannabe Deb, suddenly finds herself in front of Heaven’s gatekeeper, Fred, following a fatal car crash. Outraged by her sudden demise, she attempts to persuade Fred to return her to her shallow existence but is accidentally relegated to the body of the recently deceased Jane Bingum (Elliott). An intelligent, thoughtful and plus-size attorney with a loyal assistant, Teri (Cho), Jane has always lived in the shadow of her colleagues whereas Deb has always relied on her external beauty. By a twist of fate and a bolt of divine intervention, Deb must come to terms with inhabiting Jane’s curvier frame and learn to reconcile her beauty queen ways with her brilliant, new mind.

Josh Berman (Bones, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) is creator and executive producer. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Academy Award(R)-winning Chicago, Hairspray, Lifetime’s Living Proof) of Storyline Entertainment and Alex Taub (Eli Stone) are executive producers.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry’s leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment around the world and for every platform: broadcast and cable television, first-run and off-network syndication and digital distribution. In addition to one of the industry’s largest libraries of feature films and television shows, SPT boasts a current program slate thatincludes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas,comedies and telefilms. Internationally, SPT is a leader in local language productions around the world, some of which are co-produced with local partners, and sells SPE-owned formats in approximately 70 countries. To better serve its clients and partners worldwide, SPT maintains offices throughout the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the People’s Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Venezuela and the United Kingdom. SPT’s worldwide television networks portfolio is a key strategy in SPE’s long-range commitment to the global marketplace,with 120 channel feeds, which are available in more than 142 countries reaching more than 500 million households worldwide. SPT also creates originalcontent for and manages SPE’s premium video website, Crackle. Additionally, SPT owns Dutch entertainment company 2waytraffic, production company Embassy Row and Sony Movie Channel, and is a part owner of cable channel GSN, new 3D channel 3net, FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service, and national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT advertiser sales is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT’s syndicated series as well as in all of SPE’s digital businesses in the United States. SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

ABOUT LIFETIME

Lifetime Television is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. The network posted major growth in viewership among the key demographics in First Quarter 2012 versus First Quarter 2011, including a 9% jump in Adults 25-54, +12% with Women 25-54, +14% with Adults 18-49 and +18% with Women 18-49. In addition, the quarter marks the first time Lifetime has posted First Quarter year-on-year growth for Adults 25-54, Women 25-54 and Women 18-49 in seven years. Lifetime Television(R), LMN(R), Lifetime Real Women(R) and Lifetime Digital(TM) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group, Hearst Corporation and NBC Universal.

What do you think? Are you looking forward to the return of the Lifetime series? How long do you realistically think Drop Dead Diva should run?

Image courtesy Lifetime.