The adventure of a lifetime for five celebrated men from across diverse mediums of entertainment is coming to its stunning conclusion in tonight’s Season 1 finale of the reality series, ‘Better Late Than Never.’ Episode 4 of the comedy-infused show will broadcast tonight from 10-11 p.m. ET on NBC. During the last leg of their trip, stars William Shatner, Terry Bradshaw, Henry Winkler, George Foreman and Jeff Dye conclude their Asian adventure in Thailand.
While in the Asian country, the actors and athletes first visit Phuket, where they take part in a wild water fight, before celebrating Bradshaw’s 67th birthday. Dye takes the former football quarterback to get his first tattoo, while Shatner and Winkler get bent into all different directions with a not-so-relaxing Thai massage. Foreman takes the group to watch Thai boxing before stepping into the ring with Shatner, and later, Bradshaw gets serenaded by a special guest at an unforgettable birthday dinner.
The five stars then travel to Chiang Mai, their final destination, for a luxurious stay at an amazing hotel. In one of the most moving experiences of their trip, they spend the day at an elephant sanctuary and then visit the women and children of the long neck tribe.
In honor of ‘Better Late Than Never’s Season 1 finale, Shatner and Bradshaw generously participated in a press conference call recently. Among other things, the actor and four-time Super Bowl champion talked about their experiences of navigating their way through six cities and four countries in Asia while filming the reality show. They discussed the process of making connections with the local population and immersing themselves in local traditions, all while dealing with the unexpected twists and turns that any trip presents. Shatner and Bradsaw also mentioned how the process of revealing different sides to their personalities not only helped them support one another, but also bond with each other in surprising and meaningful ways.
Question (Q): William, ‘Star Trek’ is celebrating its 50th anniversary. When you were a young captain back then, what did you think the odds were that that show would still be famous now? What did you think the odds were that 50 years later, you’d be doing a TV show where you climb 800 steps?
William Shatner (WS): Well, I think we have the same odds that we’ll be icons 50 years from now because of ‘Better Late Than Never.’ After four shows, you know it’s a phenomena, and it’s going to last another 50 years.
We were doing a middling successful TV show for three years, and then it was canceled. Everybody thought that’s it, and we would go onto the next thing. But then slowly it snowballed, and even while it was gathering speed and momentum, nobody fully realized it. On every one of the movies that I made, they would burn the sets to have room for some other show, because they figured that was the last movie.
Terry carried me over the 799th step. He staggered up there and said, ‘I’ll help you buddy,’ and I just depended on him.
Q: Did you know going into the show that it was going to be something special?
Terry Bradshaw (TB): I had no idea that this show would be successful. I’ve been a part of four or five, pilots that never made it, and yet, we got a chance to actually shoot this show. While we were doing it, I was so hot and miserable and hurting, I never gave any thought that this thing would just be more than what it was of the four shows. Then you sit around and you go, will it be picked up?
I wanted to continue the show because it was so much fun, but I’m not privy and savvy enough to know what America is going to want to watch. That’s what’s kind of cool about this show.
WS: I agree with that. You just don’t know what America is going to watch.
We were staggering around in the monsoon season in East Asia and eating worms and octopus. We were unkempt and miserable at times, and joyous at others. We were just fending for ourselves and trying to help each other, without giving any thought of how this is going to sell. The fact that it is as successful as it is comes as a surprise, certainly to me.
Q: If you shoot a Season 2, how different will be, since you know what you’re dealing with now, versus going into unknown territory during the first season?
TB: I talked to Jeff Dye (the morning of the call) before I left Dallas. I said if in fact we have the second season, it will be more exciting for me. All I would want to know is I want to make sure we don’t go south again or go to Asia, as I was miserable in the heat.
WS: It was miserable. I haven’t watched any of the shows, so I really don’t know the direction they’re taking the show. People have commented, however, and I have listened to their comments. But the danger is now that we know what works and what doesn’t work, we’re liable to go and do what we think is working. But not having that knowledge is the reason the show works.
TB: Our stumbling, bumbling personalities all came together as we tried to figure out what they wanted. You can’t make up the dialogue; you just do it, and therefore it will be funny.
WS: Keeping that spontaneous approach is critical, so that’s what we would aim for.
Q: You obviously didn’t go to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), but did you really believe that you did? If you did, how did you react when you found out it was all fake?
TB: Nobody told me it was fake.
WS: Nobody told me it was fake, either.
TB: I’m telling you, I was not comfortable in a lot of things we did. I was a little bit nervous about it.
WS: When we got there I thought that was the place, as it looks very much like it. When this North Korean officer was talking to us, I was looking at his uniform. The braid was unbraiding, and I thought, wow, it is really a poverty stricken nation. Then when it was revealed as a joke, I thought, I don’t want to be part of this.
TB: I was mad because I really wanted that story to be real.
WS: Yes, we were both upset that it wasn’t real. The fact that some people knew it wasn’t real and some of us didn’t also upset me. I mean, what is the policy? Is the policy to look like an idiot in front of everybody else or to be in on the know? Those are editorial decisions that had to be made.
TB: When the parking lot was empty, I thought, are we the only idiots that are going to park? Then we parked in the middle of nowhere. But it looked like the DMZ.
WS: The location where we were was only about 20 miles away from the DMZ, so the geography was very similar.
Q: Was there anything that you would have liked to have been left in the show that they had to take out?
TB: I thought that the editing was phenomenal, so I have not given any thought to, where is this scene or that scene. There’s nothing that you would say, I wish they would have added this or that.
WS: I don’t watch the show because I don’t like the way I look. I find it better not to look at what I’m doing.
TB: Really? I’m like that about a lot of things, but I actually wanted to see how they cut the show. You’d laugh your butt off because it is seriously funny.
WS: I’ll look at it some time.
Q: Are there any moments from the trip that you both will cherish?
WS: Well, it was filled with unexpected things. The best moments was putting five human beings who had no true knowledge of each other together for a month, and us then having some really meaningful talks. It was very interesting to get to know these marvelous people who are at the top of their business.
TB: There are two things that I really enjoyed. I enjoyed getting dressed and doing makeup with everybody in the morning because there was some slapstick comedy going on between us. I enjoyed that everybody was cracking jokes.
Q: Henry Winkler said you learn a lot about yourself when you travel and step outside of your comfort zone. What did you both learn from the trip?
WS: I’m pretty much a loner, so very few people get into my life. But these guys and the people traveling with us got into my life. It got personal and genuine. I admired the experience of being together. The five of us became connected on this trip to one degree or another, and it was quite an experience.
TB: You can’t spend 34 days together and not work through anything. If there are issues, you learn to work through them, because it’s important that you get along. So that anxiety attack that I had prior to leaving Los Angeles was immediately taken away. So I found out that Henry and William are real people, and I was so thankful for that. I knew that this experience was going to be good and comfortable.
Q: While listening to you talk together on this call, it’s still hard to believe that you weren’t good friends before the series started. How surprised were you guys by how quickly you clicked, and have you stayed in touch since the season wrapped up?
WS: We haven’t kept in constant contact, as everybody’s busy. But Terry and I, for example, have communicated a few times by email to ask, how are you, and what are you doing? Terry also comes to Los Angeles, and he’ll be doing more often now that the Rams have come to the city. So Terry is going to celebrate that with me before it’s too late.
Now that we know this show is working, we will spend more time together. I will now appreciate the time I will get to spend with Terry and the others.
TB: You and I worked out just about every day in the gym. Bill’s got a workout habit, I mean, you’ve got to see this guy. It’s pretty impressive.
TB: You just don’t know when you put five total strangers together how it is going to be received. But we had chemistry that worked. Our friendship grew to the point where we could both insult and embrace one another. We had an absolute blast, and I made all of these new friends.
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Written by: Karen Benardello