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1st episode of U.S. remake of S. Korean TV show ranked no. 1 in ratings

August 25, 2016

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) — The U.S. remake of a popular South Korean reality TV show attracted the most viewers on its first episode among its competitors airing at the same time earlier this week, a local broadcaster said Thursday.

The ratings of the “Better Late Than Never” on American TV network NBC scored the highest in adults aged from 18 to 49 at the 10 p.m. time slot on Tuesday compared to its competitors on ABC, FOX and CBS, South Korean cable channel tvN said.

The show, featuring William Shatner, Henry Winkler, George Foreman, Terry Bradshaw and comedian Jeff Dye, attracted an estimated 7.35 million viewers in the age group, according to tvN.

It is a remake of “Grandpas Over Flowers,” a reality show about five actors in their 70s going on backpack tours around the world, which was a smash hit when it was aired on the cable channel here.

In 2014, the program’s format was sold to NBC, making it the first local TV entertainment show to ever be exported to a major TV network in the United States.

In the U.S. version, the celebrities are visiting six cities in four Asian countries, including South Korea, Japan and Thailand, according to tvN. In the first episode, their trip to Tokyo was aired.

The stars of the variety show "Grandpas Over Flowers in Greece" -- Choi Ji-woo, Lee Soon-jae, Shin Koo, Park Geun-hyung, Paik Il-sub and Lee Suh-jin (2nd L to 2nd R) -- along with producers Park Hee-yeon (L) and Na Young-suk (R) pose for a photo during a publicity event in Seoul on March 24, 2015.

The stars of the variety show “Grandpas Over Flowers in Greece” — Choi Ji-woo, Lee Soon-jae, Shin Koo, Park Geun-hyung, Paik Il-sub and Lee Suh-jin (2nd L to 2nd R) — along with producers Park Hee-yeon (L) and Na Young-suk (R) pose for a photo during a publicity event in Seoul on March 24, 2015.