ElliottGould

It's been a wild ride for Julie Benz lately. Her character Rita Morgan was tragically killed off in the season four finale of 'Dexter,' and now she's playing a stripper taken in by Susan on 'Desperate Housewives.' Her run on that show has just been extended.

She also has a Hallmark Channel movie, 'Uncorked,' airing March 6. She plays a high-powered executive who's not looking to fall in love, but fate has a different plan when a business conference takes her to wine country.

We caught up with Benz and got the scoop on all her upcoming projects, including several feature films.

See, this is a reason why cable is becoming the best place to watch TV. Lifetime has picked up Drop Dead Diva for a second season. The show is a real chick-flick kind of comedy/drama that has done well in the ratings ... for Lifetime.

The 2.6-3 million viewers would mean a cancellation on the networks – think Pushing Daisies – but on Lifetime, the charm and whimsy of Drop Dead Diva, the appeal to the female demographic, and the pairing with Army Wives on Sunday nights spells success.