Talk of a ‘Baywatch’ reboot has been around for a number of years, but US network FOX has been the one to finally step up and order a pilot script for a new version of the lifeguard drama.
As I’m sure most of you are aware, ‘Baywatch’ followed the action and drama in the lives of the Los Angeles County lifeguards (‘the elite of the elite’) who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California. The original show starred David Hasselhoff as Mitch Buchannon, the ex-Navy SEAL turned lifeguard, the only character and actor to last the entire 9 seasons. It made stars of people such as Pamela Anderson, Yasmine Bleeth, and Erika Eleniak, and even featured a young Jason Momoa in the later seasons.
According to the description of this new version, it’ll see the return of “daring ocean rescues, pristine beaches, and iconic red bathing suits, along with a whole new generation of Baywatch lifeguards, who navigate complicated, messy personal lives in this action-packed reboot that demonstrates there’s the family you’re born into and the family you find.”
FOX has given a sizable “script plus penalty commitment” for a pilot, which in “TV talk” means the network has to hand over a large bag of cash if they decide not to make it. Lara Olsen is the person who has been handed the reins as writer and showrunner. Her previous work includes the ‘90210’ reboot, CBS’s ‘Blood & Treasure’, the 2012 ‘Beauty and the Beast’ remake for The CW which starred ‘Smallville’s Kristin Kreuk, and The CW drama ‘Reign’. Olsen also executive produces with original ‘Baywatch’ creators Michael Berk, Greg Bonann and Doug Schwartz. The pilot and potential series would be a co-production between Fremantle and Fox Entertainment.
We should stress, this is only a script order at the moment, so may not go further than that (although, that will cost FOX a significant chunk of change, so is likely to at least get a pilot filmed.) We’ll then have to see if it gets picked up for a full series.
If you are hankering after some cheesy old-school sun and surf, all nine seasons of the original ‘Baywatch’ can be found, fully remastered, on Freevee in the UK and USA.
