The remake of the popular South Korean reality television show "Better Late Than Never" on NBC drew lots of viewers on its first episode. The show had the most viewers compared to its rivals that aired at the same time earlier this week. The show on the American TV network got the highest viewership among adults aged 18 to 49 at its 10 p.m. time slot on Aug. 23, Tuesday.
"Better Late Than Never" is a remake of the hit reality show "Grandpas Over Flowers" which was focused on five actors in their 70s who toured around the world. When aired on South Korea's cable channel, the latter was a smash hit. The program format was sold to NBC in 2014, and it becomes the first local TV show to be bought by a major U.S. TV network, according to Yonhap News.
In the Troy Miller-directed show, the celebs are touring six cities in four Asian countries for a month with the first episode featuring their trip to Tokyo. The stars are award winning actor, director, writer and producer Henry Winkler ("Royal Pains"), boxing Hall of Famer and gold medalist turned businessman George Foreman, NFL analyst and football legend Terry Bradshaw ("Fox NFL Sunday), Golden Globe and Emmy-winning actor, writer and director William Shatner ("The Practice") and comedian Jeff Dye ("I Can Do That" on NBC).
Winkler, Foreman, Bradshaw and Shatner decide that it is better late than never to embark on the journey of a lifetime sans schedule, itinerary, assistants, lattes and limos. The only help they have comes from the young tech-savvy comedian Dye.
The one-hour duration series features the trip of the five men to Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan; Hong Kong, China; Phuket and Chiang Mai, Thailand and Seoul, South Korea. The five stars navigate the cities, communicate with the local people, immerse themselves in local traditions, enjoy exotic food and deal with unexpected twists along the way. The five rely on each other for encouragement and support and prove that friendship is the ultimate gift.
The Aug. 30 episode of the new NBC show will feature Hong Kong, which offers culture kaleidoscope, colorful nightlife and international cuisine. Hollywood's national legends are anticipated to have a pack of fun-filled cultural experience, twists and heartwarming spectacles, according to NewsOn6.com.
Watch the first episode of NBC's new reality show below.