Forget about the World Cup, the oil spill, the economy and the Supreme Court confirmation hearings, because today CBS's 'The Early Show' revealed the biggest news story of the summer: the cast of 'Big Brother.'

Yes, that's right: season 12 of 'Big Brother' is finally (almost) here, and Julie Chen herself was on hand in the wee hours to unveil the line-up to a breathless television world. Over the past 10 years, 'Big Brother' has slowly morphed from 'Survivor's' ugly step-sister into a major player in its own right, with last year's 'Big Brother 11' experiencing a bit of a rating renaissance thanks in part to the show's unique around the clock live cable feed.

So what will viewers and voyeurs get to see on that eye in the sky this season? From the looks of it: plenty. This year's cast features an impressive mix of self-confident (and self-centered) folks, many of whom are all too happy to brag about their ability to lie, cheat and backstab their way to "success." Add in a couple of hunky athletes, an orthodox Jew and a professor who appears to be a gay Doctor Who, and you have a mix for surefire television combustion.
Here's a quick rundown of the unusual suspects, which we have helpfully rendered snap judgments on and divided into basic categories:

People Who Will Knife You: Matt, Britney, Monet. Matt explains that he's "a genius" who says what he thinks even though what he thinks "ain't so pretty," meaning his interior matches his exterior perfectly. Britney, meanwhile, is self-reflective enough to admit that "I have all those terrible qualities. I'm very manipulative." And Monet, well, she simply says "I will stab you in the back in a heartbeat." That will no doubt look good on her future resumé.

Eye Candy: Hayden, Brendon, Lane, Kristen. Hayden was a tossup for us, as he also gleefully admits he will backstab for a half million dollars without a qualm. We just doubt he has the ability to pull it off, so we lumped him in with these other ab-tastic contestants, including swim coach Brendon and Lane, an oil rigger who says that he's "not that brain smart." And Kristen says she will "do almost anything to win," something producers were no doubt counting on when they cast her.

Shouldn't Be on TV: Kathy is a charming, wide-eyed girl next door who also happens to be a sheriff and a cancer survivor. In other words, she seems way too cool to waste her time on this sort of thing.

Lovable Weirdos: Andrew is a practicing Jew who plans to sit out any challenges that take place on the Sabbath and will maintain a fully orthodox and kosher lifestyle, which sadly means he won't be eating anything off of Kristen's stomach. Enzo, meanwhile, is kind of like what Ronnie from 'Jersey Shore' will be like in ten years, while Ragan is a bow-tie wearing, gay professor who actually realizes 'Big Brother' is just a game. Now there's a crazy idea.

Also on the Show: Rachel, Annie. We guess we'll have to wait until the show starts to figure out why these two are on it.

Of course, one of these folks is actually a network plant sent to disrupt the household (see: 'The Mole'), but which one is the saboteur, CBS isn't yet saying. For in depth bios of all the 'Big Brother 12' housemates and perhaps a clue to the turncoat's secret identity, feel free to check out the official site over at CBS. In the meantime, here's the clip from 'The Early Show' featuring Chen and series producer Allison Grodner dishing the dirt, followed by the official cast video from CBS: