Scandal

Upfronts madness has officially set in, and the networks have been going crazy making their announcements about which shows are getting the ax and which pilots are a go for next season. ABC has pulled the plug on Brothers & Sisters and a few more, but what's coming next Fall? I've got the scoop on the new crop, which includes plenty of familiar faces like Kristin Chenoweth, Tim Allen, and more, so start getting to know ABC's new lineup now!

COMEDY

• Suburgatory: A family sitcom set in — wait for it — the suburbs. A father (Dodgeball's Alan Tudyk) uproots his daughter from Manhattan for a more provincial life in the 'burbs.
• Work It: Follows two guys who dress up like women for better jobs after they're laid off.
• Man Up: Focuses on a group of guys coming to terms with being middle-aged men.
• Apt. 23: Krysten Ritter plays an NYC party girl who clashes with her new good-girl roommate from the Midwest. James Van Der Beek also stars as himself.
• Last Man Standing: Tim Allen returns to TV as a man struggling to hang on to his traditional values in today's world. Nancy Travis will costar as his wife.

To check out the new dramas, just read more

Michelle "Bombshell" McGee, Jaimee Grubbs, Rielle Hunter, or Ashley Dupre would never exist in France — or would they? The French press has traditionally passed on tell-all sex stories, vehemently believing that such smut diminishes the profession of journalists. But times they are a changing.

For what appears to be the first time, a French publication has published a kiss-and-tell item. Paris Match ran an interview this week with an escort who allegedly slept with three soccer players of France's national team. She disclosed details including the fact that she charged as much as $2,500 a night (word is she got over $100,000 for sharing such details).

One member of the French press summed up the old guard's view: "It is the first time I have seen this here. It means we have turned a corner and we are on the slippery slope towards Anglo-Saxon customs. It’s sad but I think it’s irreversible.” It's hard to argue that such stories aren't part of our "customs" in the US. Kiss and tell sure sells well around here lately.

White House Budget Director and DC "hottie" (he's not quite my type) Peter Orszag is making headlines for a mild sex scandal. Peter's whirlwind romance with ABC reporter Bianna Golodryga made headlines when he proposed to her after seven months of dating. But that wasn't the whole story. The public has now discovered that Peter left his previous girlfriend — shipping heiress Claire Milonas — when she was pregnant. Claire gave birth in November, weeks before Peter popped the question to Bianna. As Jon Stewart describes it, the whole thing is a "tale of one man's insatiable sex drive and the beautiful women who succumb to his magnetic machismo." Watch Jon have at Peter on last night's Daily Show.

Tiger Woods! He may have been last to the 2009 scandals, but Tiger blew past philandering heavyweights like Jon Gosselin and Governor Mark Sanford to take more than 50 percent of the votes for the most shocking sex scandal of 2009.

A dubious honor but befitting the man who mysteriously crashed his car on Thanksgiving only to bring a whole lot of skeletons out of the trunk. Well, no, that would be a whole other scandal!

We've lost count of how many women have come forward to say they've slept with Tiger, but he's taking a timeout from golf and the future of his marriage remains uncertain. I bet 2010 can't come soon enough!

Don't forget to check out the rest of our Best of 2009 coverage and defend your own favorites in our Best of 2009 group!

Now that Tiger Woods's previously perfect media image has taken a hit, I'm sure Barack Obama is not so thrilled about the January cover of Golf Digest. In the issue, Tiger offers the president 10 tips. Here's one that could apply to golf and life: cheaters never prosper.

Italians really take their sex scandals to the next level. Today, Patrizia D'Addario, former call girl mistress to Italy's "I'm no saint" prime minister, adds a "lesbian dimension" to her tale of sex, power, and retaliation.

Patrizia has a book coming out and excerpts reveal that she has been the target of threats, robbery, and violence after going public about her affair with Silvio Berlusconi. But that's not stopping her. Describing a party held at Berlusconi's home, Patrizia shares the prime minister's preference for white silk pajamas and women who like other women. To see an excerpt, read more

• In an episode of Oprah that will air today, Mackenzie Phillips reveals that she was raped by her father, John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas. — People
• The FDA has banned flavored cigarettes that taste like vanilla, chocolate, clove, or other flavors that might lure children. — New York Times
• Sarah Palin made her first overseas speech today, telling investors in Hong Kong that government interference is to blame for the financial crisis. — Wall Street Journal
• President Obama addressed the UN General Assembly for the first time today, saying that he understood "reflexive anti-Americanism" but believes that every country should help America solve the world's problems. — MSNBC