NBC to air U.S. version of ‘Grandpas Over Flowers’

American broadcaster NBC will be airing its version of Korean reality program “Grandpas Over Flowers” early next year, marking the first time an exported Korean television format is being produced and broadcast in the U.S.

The travel reality show, which primarily aired on Korean cable network tvN and starred four elderly actors on backpacking trips abroad, will be titled “Better Late Than Never” in the U.S. and is set to begin airing on NBC early next year, the original show’s producer-director Na Young-seok revealed in an interview with Yonhap news agency Friday.

“NBC bought the rights (to ‘Grandpas’) two years ago. After a year of preparation, they began shooting last fall. I believe they are currently in the last stage of production,” said Na, who said he has been corresponding with the NBC production staff via email. “It has taken around three years to complete one season.”

The American version will star celebrities in the twilight of life traveling to various corners of the world, ticking off boxes on their bucket lists.

According to the Yonhap report, the cast will include actor William Shatner, 84, known for his role as Captain Kirk in the “Star Trek” series; Henry Winkler, 70, star of the 1970’s hit sitcom “Happy Days”; former American football quarterback Terry Bradshow, 67; and former heavyweight boxer George Foreman, 77. 

Jeff Dye, a 32-year-old comedian-actor, will occupy the role taken by actor Lee Seo-jin in the original series, serving as a porter and tour guide for the others. 

On whether the show will be successful in the U.S., Na commented: “We’ll have to open the lid and see. It’s difficult to guarantee whether the show’s sentiment will appeal to American viewers.”

“Grandpas” has aired four successful seasons in Korea so far, following the cast’s travels to France, Taiwan, Spain, and Greece. The series has often been linked with the increasing number of Korean tourists to the featured locations.

Previously, Chinese versions of “Grandpas” and its spinoff “Sisters Over Flowers,” also directed by Na, have successfully aired, reports said.

Other Korean TV series formats, including makeover show “Let Me In” and singing audition program “Superstar K,” have also been exported to Thailand and China in recent years in what has been called a pan-Asian boom of Korean media content.

Na, known for putting the spotlight on the quaint and the everyday, has a number of hit travel- and cooking- focused shows under his belt, including the popular reality-variety show “2 Days and 1 Night,” which has been airing since 2007, and most recently, “Three Meals a Day.”

By Rumy Doo (bigbird@heraldcorp.com)