Families compete on new 'Road Trip' series

LOS ANGELES, June 1 (UPI) -- Comedian Reno Collier has been named host of the adventure reality series "Great American Road Trip," NBC announced Monday.

Produced by BBC Worldwide Productions and set to debut on NBC July 7, the show features seven families from divergent backgrounds going on "the journey of a lifetime," a news release said.

"Collier will guide viewers and the participating families on an eight-episode journey along America's legendary Route 66," NBC said. "Traveling through cities and towns large and small, the seven families, whose hometowns range from Montclair, Calif., to Yonkers, N.Y., will compete in a series of challenges that will ultimately lead one family to victory."

NBC said the show would be set against "iconic American backdrops" such as the Grand Canyon and the St. Louis arch.

"This show is a blast," Collier said in a statement. "I'm having the time of my life. We are checking out everything from the Grand Canyon and Wrigley Field to the world's biggest bottle of ketchup. Seriously, what's better than that? -- I love ketchup."