TITANIC FOOTAGE SLATED FOR THE TUBE

While the scientists exploring the sunken wreckage of the Titanic are expected to release some of their footage to television news organizations in the next few days, the bulk of their unprecedented deep-sea pictures will be saved for a National Geographic documentary.

Nicholas Noxon, a veteran, highly regarded documentary producer, is part of the expedition from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the U.S. Navy that currently is surveying the remains of the majestic ocean liner 2 1/2 miles beneath the Atlantic.

They are using a newly developed, remote-controlled video camera to record pictures of what the Titanic’s interior looks like now, 74 years after it struck an iceberg and sank. The probe, called Jason Jr., is operated from a small submarine that the scientists have been landing on the Titanic’s deck.

Officials from the National Geographic’s television department said Thursday that the planned program would appear either as a special on PBS or would be included as part of its “Explorer” series on WTBS cable.

NEW FACE: John Tesh, a reporter for CBS Sports, has been signed to replace Robb Weller as co-host of “Entertainment Tonight.” He’ll join Mary Hart on the syndicated news series about show business in mid-August.

Weller, who has been with the show since 1984, will continue to co-host the weekend edition, “Entertainment This Week,” and also will report for “Entertainment Tonight.”

Prior to working for CBS Sports, Tesh was a news anchor and reporter for WCBS-TV in New York and WBBM-TV in Chicago.

NEW SHOW: “Fame Fortune & Romance,” which had a two-week tryout on ABC last month, will join the daytime schedule on a full-time basis Sept. 8, the network says.

It will replace reruns of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” the show on which it is patterned and which features the same production team and host, Robin Leach. The show features interviews with celebrities about how they live and how they achieved success.

The “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” reruns (seen first in syndication) will continue at 10 a.m. until then and, in addition, will be seen in ABC’s late-night schedule starting Monday, replacing “Eye on Hollywood.”

It will hold down the midnight slot until Sept. 19, at which time ABC will be introducing a new, as yet unannounced late-night schedule.