Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Mary Murphy, enjoying her return to the "So You Think You Can Dance" judges' table after a year away, would like to perform again herself. However, since surgery to remove a thyroid tumor in December, she candidly tells us, "My body has changed dramatically. I'm still navigating the whole hormonal change thing. I would still like to exit dancing, but I just don't think it's going to happen this season until we situate my hormones, you know?"

The champion dancer and choreographer, who successfully battled thyroid cancer while away from the show, points out that the thyroid regulates one's metabolism, among other things. Thus, she reveals, "I cannot get my body. I've been working so hard. I'm fighting for it every day with a few hours of exercise — exercising like a crazy person, and nothing is happening with this body. I would love to come out at the finale and dance one more time to top it off, but I don't think that will happen."

Murphy is glad she was able to dance on Broadway last fall in "Burn the Floor," and "in my hometown of San Diego. So, if I never get to dance again, you know, I ended it in a place where I felt really great, in my own hometown. But I am going to really fight to dance at least one more time."

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: "Drop Dead Diva" star Brooke Elliott says viewers will find her character "becoming more comfortable in this new life, and becoming flirtier" as the just-launched third season unfurls. "DDD," of course, follows the unique saga of a vapid model whose spirit has mistakenly been dumped into the body of a brilliant plus-sized attorney. Brooke says, "I had no idea" the Lifetime series would wind up lasting this long — with an ardent following and critical kudos. "You never know which thing is going to hit and which one isn't — and then to have the show continually picked up and continually supported by Lifetime is amazing," says the Broadway veteran.

"DDD" also has a list of guest stars to die for, a particularly impressive feat considering they have to travel to the town outside Atlanta where the show shoots. This year's list includes LeAnn Rimes, Kathy Griffin, Wendy Williams, Mario Lopez, Amanda Bearse, Tony Goldwyn, Howard Hesseman, Sharon Lawrence, Faith Prince, Jennifer Tilly and Louis Van Amstel. Appearing in the forthcoming "gay prom" episode are Wanda Sykes, Lance Bass and Clay Aiken. Brooke says she didn't have scenes with Bass and Aiken, but loved working with Sykes. "I think she had a really good time doing her scene. Her timing is impeccable. Working with her was such a fun day."

SUMMER OF SLEAZE: Rob Lowe and the "Knife Fight" company must be watching the latest string of personal peccadillo-produced political plummets — the fall of Anthony Wiener, John Edwards' continuing collapse, Arnold Schwarzenegger's scandal — with a special sort of schadenfreude. They just keep making "Knife Fight" look smarter and smarter. The film has Lowe as a brilliant, tough political Mr. Fixit who helps (as casting notices put it) "pols caught with their pants down ... (and) feels a moral imperative to put and keep the best person in office despite their bonehead shenanigans."

Continuing his summer of sleaze, Lowe is set to go from "Knife Fight" production to playing the title accused wife killer in "The Drew Peterson Story" beginning July 9. Kaley Cuoco plays the doomed Stacy Peterson in the Lifetime movie. After that, back to work on "Parks and Rec."

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: A late July start date in Toronto has been firmed for "The Firm," NBC's series version of the John Grisham best-seller that spawned the same titled Tom Cruise movie. Josh Lucas plays Mitchell McDeere in the drama upon which the network is placing a big bet — with a 22-episode commitment and a midseason debut on Sundays after football. Grisham is executive producer of the series that takes place 10 years after the events in the movie, with McDeere coming out of the witness protection program aiming to reclaim his life.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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