Tuning In

Water dust-up to air

Stephen Colbert’s much-talked-about water fight with Richard Branson will air Aug. 22 on “The Colbert Report,” the New York Post says.

Mr. Branson, who was on the show to promote his Virgin American airline, did a segment with Mr. Colbert and doused him with a glass of water when the segment ended. He reportedly was angry (or pretending to be angry) because he hadn’t had a chance to plug the airline by name.

Mr. Colbert then retaliated by drenching Mr. Branson after sending a staffer for a glass of water. The host also had to be dried off by staffers after the water fight.

Comedy Central officials claim it was all in good fun.

However, audience members who attended the taping last Tuesday blogged that Mr. Colbert looked ruffled and angry afterward — and that the two men sat in stony silence for a few seconds.

There she is on TLC

The Miss America Organization says it has reached a multiyear agreement to have its annual pageant televised on cable’s TLC, beginning Jan. 26 through 2010, TVWeek.com reports.

The pageant aired this year on cable’s CMT, which dropped the program because ratings were sagging. ABC stopped airing Miss America in 2004.

TLC plans to produce a reality show that will lead into the pageant, showing the preparations and backgrounds of the contestants.

Wipeout

HBO took little time in deciding to cancel David Milch’s “surf noir” drama “John From Cincinnati,” letting the ax fall a day after the show’s season finale, which aired Sunday, Zap2it.com reports.

The cryptic, metaphysically inclined series — starring Austin Nichols as the title character — divided critics and viewers alike and won’t be back for a second season.

’Talent’ still tops

America clearly has a taste for “America’s Got Talent,” which retained the ratings top spot last week.

The NBC talent competition drew more than 10.8 million viewers, ahead of repeat airings of CBS’ “60 Minutes” (10.2 million) and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (9.8 million), according to Nielsen Media Research.

Overall in prime time for the week, CBS came out on top, with an average of 7.1 million viewers. NBC had 5.6 million viewers, while Fox averaged 5.5 million. Following were ABC with 4.4 million, the CW with 1.7 million, My Network TV with 980,000 and ION Television with 670,000.

For the week of Aug. 6 through 12, the top five shows, their networks and viewerships were: 1) “America’s Got Talent,” NBC, 10.8 million; 2) “60 Minutes,” CBS, 10.2 million; 3) “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS, 9.8 million; 4) “Power of Ten” (Tuesday), CBS, 9.2 million; and 5) “Without a Trace” CBS, 9.19 million.

Compiled by Robyn-Denise Yourse from Web and wire reports