Ready to take a slow-motion run on the beach? Because “Baywatch” is coming back, TheWrap can confirm. Freemantle is developing a reboot of the memorable syndicated series and are out to several streamers and linear broadcasters. There are no creatives currently attached.
The original show, which resurrected the career of “Knight Rider” star David Hasselhoff (turning him into a sensation overseas) and popularized Pamela Anderson, first aired on NBC in 1989. It ran for a season on NBC before become a staple of syndication’s golden era, airing until summer 2001. “Baywatch” was essentially a prime time soap opera, based around a group of lifeguards – both the emergencies that they are faced with and their messy interpersonal relationships (because, you know, they were all very hot).
“Baywatch” inspired a spinoff called “Baywatch Nights,” running from 1995 to 1997. The original version of the show featured Hasselhoff, whose character was now part of a private detective agency (the show started life as a remake of series “Peter Gunn”). When that concept failed to connect, the series was heavily rejiggered in Season 2, taking on a sci-fi dimension meant to exploit the then-booming science fiction craze kicked off by “The X-Files.” The show was so unpopular that the production company paid channels to air it. Incredible, right? In the final seasons of the mainline “Baywatch,” faced with the increasing cost of filming in California, was transformed into “Baywatch: Hawaii” (originally “Baywatch: Down Under” was proposed).
Along the way, there was a made-for-video movie called “Baywatch the Movie: Forbidden Paradise” (which also ran as a two-part event in the sixth season), which inspired a sequel “Baywatch: White Thunder at Glacier Bay” (which also eventually aired as part of the mainline show). “Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding” followed as a reunion movie, airing on Fox in 2003 (it was all about a madman attempting to ruin Mitch’s wedding).
More recently there was the 2017 “Baywatch” movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Zac Efron and Alexandra Daddario, which took on a more overtly comedic, very R-rated tone.
It’ll be interesting to see what tone this new iteration will take. Will it lean into the cheese? Or forge its own path? What if it just brought back the “Baywatch Nights” approach? More giant squids please!
Deadline was the first one to report the news.
