“Better Late Than Never” will follow five famous men as they backpack throughout Asia without any luxuries. Actors Henry Winkler and William Shatner, former athletes Terry Bradshaw and George Foreman and comedian Jeff Dye have signed up for the reality series that begins production in August.
The one-hour series, an adaptation of the South Korean variety show “Grandpa Over Flowers,” will follow participants to Tokyo, Kyoto, Seoul, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Chang Mai.
“The five will navigate their way through each city — communicating with the local population, immersing themselves in local traditions and enjoying exotic food — all the while dealing with the unexpected twists and turns that any trip presents,” the network said in a statement. “As they check off items on their own personal ‘bucket list,’ the five will rely on each other for support and encouragement and, in the process, demonstrate that friendship is the ultimate gift.”
Henry Winkler, an award-winning actor, producer, writer and director, recently appeared in such series as “Parks and Recreation,” “Royal Pains,” “Childrens Hospital” and “Arrested Development.” He is best known by his iconic character, the Fonz, from the ABC series “Happy Days.”
Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor, director and writer William Shatner starred as Capt. James T. Kirk in “Star Trek,” in “3rd Rock from the Sun,” as well as in series “The Practice” and “Boston Legal,” among others.
Former quarterback Terry Bradshaw has been an NFL analyst and studio co-host on “Fox NFL Sunday” since 1994. He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers for 14 seasons and won four Super Bowls on Steelers teams.
Two-time boxing world heavyweight champion George Foreman is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and a gold medal winner in the 1968 Olympics and ended his professional record at 76-5 with 68 knockouts. His name is now familiar to households for his George Foreman Grill.
Comedian Jeff Dye placed third on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” early in his career and has since appeared on MTV (“Girl Code,” “Money From Strangers”) and in a Comedy Central special. He tours nationally and was a host on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover Home Edition.” He is currently co-starring on NBC’s new Tuesday night reality series “I Can Do That.”
“Better Late Than Never” will be produced by Universal Television in association with Storyline Entertainment. The original South Korean series is produced by CJ Entertainment & Media and currently airs in both China and South Korea.
Winkler will serve as an executive producer along with Jason Ehrlich, producer of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” Tim Crescenti, of “I Survived a Japanese Game Show” and producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.