Road Trip! Henry Winkler and William Shatner Talk ‘Better Late Than Never’ Season 2
Never underestimate the power of geezers! The NBC reality series Better Late Than Never—featuring Henry Winkler, William Shatner, George Foreman, Terry Bradshaw and their young guide Jeff Dye on a road trip through Asia—was the unexpected ratings hit of summer 2016. Now the quibbling quintet is back for Season 2, and this time they’re taking on Europe, Russia and North Africa. There will be no end to the hijinks…or the pixilated nudity. We corralled those AARP-tastic icons Winkler and Shatner to give us an exclusive preview.
You guys are rich. You have seen the world. Why did you put yourselves through this exhausting 40-day trek?
Winkler: Sure, we’ve traveled, but not like this! We got to dance flamenco in the streets of Madrid. We rode camels in Marrakesh, then dropped them off at our hotel and got a valet ticket. I even rode a Vespa. Yes, the guy who played the Fonz has never ridden a motorcycle—until now! These are priceless experiences.
Shatner: And all we have to do is breeze in and make fools of ourselves. The producers do everything for us. I don’t have to stand around an airport carousel with that frightened look on my face when my luggage doesn’t come out, wondering how many days I can stretch one pair of underpants. It’s somebody else’s problem!
Who’s the most recognized of the group when you’re overseas?
Winkler: George, hands down. He was a hero everywhere.
Shatner: Most countries don’t know about American football, so Terry was wandering around bereft…with the occasional tear in his eye.
Why can’t you dudes keep your clothes on? Rare is the episode where one of you doesn’t find an excuse to go bottomless.
Shatner: Terry is the worst. He loves getting naked. But Henry showed incredible courage in Spain. [To Winkler] Tell the story!
Winkler: We go to an art class where the students are working with clay, and I am the nude model. Let’s face it, I am currently carrying the equivalent of another human being around my middle region, but there I am—flashing it all! [Laughs] And Bill is giving me instructions: “Pose like an angel! A sad angel!”
In Asia, you tried some pretty scary delicacies, like cow penis. Safe to say the cuisine this season required a lot less nerve?
Shatner: Not at all! In Sweden, we ate the fermented herring.
Winkler: Oh my God! It smells like they stuffed an entire village of dead people into a can. And then sprayed it with a skunk. And then left it out in the heat for two weeks.
Shatner: It was so bad Terry was actually screaming! One of our cameramen projectile-vomited. But, hey, what’s the point of visiting a foreign land and not immersing yourself in the culture? Why go all that way only to eat at McDonald’s?
Better Late Than Never, Two-Hour Season Premiere Monday, Jan. 1, 9/8c, NBC
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services