Case Study: Grandpas Over Flowers

CJ E&M’s South Korean travel/reality show Grandpas Over Flowers debuted on tvN in 2013, and viewers were instantly enthralled by watching as four veteran actors, all in their 70s, went on a backpacking adventure together. During the series, the group must accomplish their “bucket list,” so they personally plan and manage their schedule. The result is a high level of authenticity, since the “grandpas” feel like they’re on a real trip instead of just filming a TV series.

“The show was based on two ideas,” explains Hwang Jin Woo, the head of formats at CJ E&M Corporation. “First, it was to send grandpas whose average age was 75 on a special backpack travel [adventure]. By sending famous grandpas on a real backpack trip, the viewers would be able to empathize with the special memories and rich impressions they have throughout the journey.”

“Second, it was to bring about communication between generations,” he continues. “Through the episodes, with the grandpas and the porter (in his 40s) who joins the trip as their guide and interpreter, a desirable communication was shown between the generations.”

China was the first territory to adapt the format. The Chinese version aired on Dragon TV in 2014 and featured four senior celebrities and a popular actor as a porter.

There were a few tweaks made to the format in this Chinese adaptation, Jin Woo explains. In the original version, the four celebrity grandpas had been friends for more than 50 years. “However, in the Chinese version, it was difficult to cast celebrities who were close friends, due to the enormous number of celebrities,” he notes. “Since the Chinese grandpas were not close with each other, they had a tendency to behave by themselves when traveling. As a result, the production crew gave the porter a walkie-talkie to help him track the grandpas and gather them. Bringing in a walkie-talkie device led to new incidents and expectations.”

Now, the format is making its way to the U.S., where NBC is set to air the American version, Better Late Than Never. Henry Winkler, William Shatner, Terry Bradshaw, George Foreman and Jeff Dye were tapped for the series. The NBC show has finished shooting in several cities in Asia and is expected to premiere in 2016.

“Once Better Late Than Never is aired, it would mark the first Korean variety show to be adapted by a national broadcast network in North America,” says Jin Woo. “This travelogue variety program has universal attributes that can work with American audiences. There are many admired senior celebrities in the States and their personal stories can be shared through the show in an emotional and entertaining way. It would be quite astonishing to see the personal development and untold stories of these celebrities.”

Looking beyond the U.S., Jin Woo says that CJ E&M hopes this format “is welcomed by all the grandpas around the world.”