Set your DVRs: Colbert, Branson showdown to air next week
Stephen Colbert
(Credit: Comedy Central)I don't think I've been this psyched for a Colbert Report episode since Stephen Colbert took on the Decemberists. On Wednesday, August 22, an unscripted tiff between the Comedy Central comedian and billionaire Sir Richard Branson, which swirled up quite a bit of chatter in the blog rumor mill, will be shown in that night's episode of the faux-pundit talk show.
The segment, originally cut from the program, depicts Virgin Group mogul Branson dumping a cup of water on Colbert in a manner that was rumored to be less-than-friendly. It was considered particularly out-of-line, considering the close ties between the two geek heroes--one of the planes in the new tech-friendly Virgin America fleet, after all, is called the "Air Colbert."
Sir Richard Branson
(Credit: Virgin Group)A statement from Virgin USA, obtained by FishbowlNY, suggests that there was no delay in airing the segment, contrary to popular belief. The company insisted that "Richard enjoyed his time with Stephen, and the splash was part of the fun."
So, Colbert might no longer be "on notice" with Sir Richard, but YouTube still apparently wants his head on a platter (but a well-designed platter from the Googleplex's all-you-can-eat cafeteria, of course).
Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos. E-mail Caroline. 
