Freak shows may be thing of the past (non-fiction ones anyway), but there are two groups that it’s still culturally acceptable to mock on television: the obese and the elderly. NBC, never one to pass up a gimmick, has taken note of this phenomenon and is developing two new shows that will not only ensure that America’s elders will never get the respect they deserve, but will further exacerbate the cycle of unreasonable expectations and inevitable disappointment that makes people overeat in the first place.
Anyway, the first show is called Better Late Than Never and is based on a South Korean reality show, meaning that middle-aged Japanese women are going to go fucking nuts for it. The basic concept revolves around a group of four seasoned actors who backpack across Asia accompanied by a porter, who is presumably there to explain to them what a Snapchat is. The original show, Grandpas Over Flowers, was a massive success for CJ Entertainment & Media, one of Asia’s largest entertainment companies, and has spawned both sibling- and friend-based spinoffs.
The second is called Weight For Love and is based on NBC’s own The Biggest Loser, a show that has been a massive success for NBC in both the ratings and punny title department. In this installment, overweight couples will be separated for an extended period of time “in order to regain their health,” before being reunited in “an emotional reveal.” Whether Weight For Love makes it to TV depends on a series of casting calls taking place in Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles over the next couple of weeks.