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Simpson Sitcom Scores Scribe

Tuesday, December 23, 2003

10:53 AM PT

Wait. You mean Jessica Simpson needs a writer to make her hilarious?

Writer-producer Gayle Abrams will draft the pilot for Simpsons' upcoming ABC project. The untitled comedy has also moved shingles from 20th Century Fox TV to Touchstone TV, though it will still be executive produced by Ted Harbert. Touchstone and 20th swapped projects, according to The Hollywood Reporter, giving ABC the rights to the Simpson show with 20th acquiring the Barry Levinson-Tom Fontana FOX drama "The Jury."

Thus far, no plot ideas have been floated for the series which will continue pop singer Simpson's intended transition from unintentional laughs to scripted punchlines. The "Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica" star is still likely to play off the bubbleheaded image cultivated on the MTV reality series.

Abrams comes to the Simpson comedy with series credits that include "Frasier," "Hidden Hills" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."