Summer is right around the corner, and there’s only one team we trust to protect the beach. That’s right, Baywatch is coming back to television!
The original series aired from 1989 to 2001, spanning 11 seasons. It followed a group of Los Angeles lifeguards. Episodes focused on their interpersonal relationships and the difficulties their job entailed. The lifeguards encountered sharks, earthquakes, and even serial killers.
It starred Pamela Anderson, Yasmine Bleeth, David Charvet, Erika Eleniak, and David Hasselhoff and was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonann.
After its first season, Baywatch was canceled. It survived syndication and would later earn the Guinness World Record for the most-watched TV series ever.
The reboot has been in production for two months and should be ready for the fall, but it will not be released then. Fox is planning to delay the premiere until January.
According to Deadline, Fox Television Network President Michael Thorn spoke about the upcoming series on a press call Sunday.
“We have a rich history of launching series midseason,” he said. “Obviously, Baywatch is a huge, huge priority for us, and we think we have a great opportunity to set the show up for success there.”
He recognized how important the original series is to audiences.
“We’re feeling great about where we are, but also feeling the pressure of already heightened fan expectations,” Thorn said. “There’s only one Baywatch. It’s one of the most iconic, popular television franchises in TV history.”
Fox has been working on the reboot for several years. They created another lifeguard drama, Rescue: HI-Surf, from producer John Wells. The 2024 show only lasted one season.
“We love John Wells, and we took a shot with HI-Surf. It didn’t quite catch on. Baywatch is a much soapier, juicier show than HI-Surf, and we hope it resonates as much as the original does, that’s our goal,” Thorn said.
Fox executives would not confirm if the Baywatch premiere will be after a big NFL game. It seems likely, since the network is waiting for the NFL schedule to be released before finalizing launch plans.