In late 2014, NBC bought the
remake rights for the South Korean series
Grandpas Over Flowers from
CJ E&M. The original show was one of the first successful programs for cable
tvN and had two spin-off shows. The show was produced by cast member Winkler, along with Jason Ehrlich, producer of
The Bachelor and
The Bachelorette, Tim Crescenti, of
I Survived a Japanese Game Show and Storyline Entertainment's two producers
Craig Zadan and
Neil Meron, of
The Bucket List. Also in August, the cast visited South Korea, arriving in
Seoul on August 20 for a three-day trip, including a visit to
COEX for filming with cameo guests,
K-pop girl group Girls' Generation, and trips to
Hwaseong Fortress,
Caribbean Bay,
Itaewon, and the
Korean Demilitarized Zone. Japan, including
Tokyo and
Kyoto, was the first stop for the show, with more trips to include Seoul,
Hong Kong,
Phuket and
Chiang Mai. According to NBC, the five cast members would rely on each other for support and encouragement and demonstrate that friendship is the ultimate gift. While filming the show in Southeast Asia, Shatner, at age 84, became interested in
Buddhism and
meditation after spending time with a Buddhist monk. He said, "The disaster of death is encroaching so I'm more and more aware of how beautiful it is to be alive." ==Cast==