First sketches of Gervais' Simpsons face

The first sketches of how Ricky Gervais will look when he appears on The Simpsons have been published on the Internet.

The Office star has written the episode Homer Simpson: This Is Your  Wife, which forms part of the next series of the show, which starts in the States on September 11.

The images – preliminary storyboard sketches on which the final animation will be based – have been published on Gervais’s  official website.

His  character in The Simpsons is based on David Brent. He moves in with Marge as the Simpson family take part in an episode of Wife Swap.

Last week, he said: ‘When I first got into comedy it was my ambition to get a joke on The Simpsons - now I've got a whole episode.

‘I can just imagine waking up one day and finding out it's all been a dream.’

There is no news yet on a UK transmission date for the episode, which will air first on Sky One.

Other guest stars in the new series, the 17th, include Alex Baldwin, Dennis   Rodman, Joe Frazier William H. Macy, Lily Tomlin and Kelsey Grammer returning as Sideshow Bob.

Published: 10 Aug 2005