In this week's "is this really news?" news item, former That's So Raven cast member Kyle Massey, his brother Christopher and his mother Angela, are suing the producers of the new Lifetime reality show Bristol Palin: Life's A Tripp (which, not surprisingly, completely tanked ratings-wise on its premiere), claiming they were ripped off.

The 31-page lawsuit, which was filed in L.A. Superior Court, claims that Massey originally came with the concept for the show, which was developed after Kyle Massey was Palin's dance partner on Dancing With the Stars, and that the series started shooting with them, only for Massey to be cut out and uncompensated.

The Massey version was originally conceived for the Bio TV network (an A & E owned network which also owns Lifetime) and was to be called Helping Hands.

The premise had Palin and her son Tripp rooming with the Massey brothers in L.A. while they perform charitable work around the city together. The show was also supposed to suggest a romantic relationship between Kyle and Bristol.

However, the new show, now on Lifetime, just features Bristol, along with her sister, trying to make it as a single mother in Los Angeles.

The Masseys are asking for damages and a permanent injunction against the producers from profiting on an idea they claim was theirs. They are also charging the producers with copyright infrigment, fraud, deceit, breach of contract, bad failth, misappropriation, tortious interference and unfair competition. WHEW!

A pilot for Helping Hands was shot, but supposedly the producers didn't believe that Kyle and Bristol were a real couple, and that there was a real lack of chemisrty bewteen them. They decided to retool the show and go in another direction.

Can't say I blame them. And I think Kyle should be thanking his lucky stars.

What guy, especially a brother, would even want to hint at the idea that he was in a relationship with Bristol Palin? I mean seriously?

The idea alone makes me want to lose my lunch.