A reboot of the highly successful drama Baywatch is heading to television.
The original series became one of the most watched shows in the world running for 11 seasons in the late 80s and 90s. The new version will again follow a group of Los Angeles county lifeguards as they deal with various emergencies.
The official description reads: “Daring ocean rescues, pristine beaches, and iconic red bathing suits are back, 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.”
The series will air on Fox in the US and will come from showrunner Lara Olsen, whose previous credits include the 90210 reboot and Netflix skating drama Spinning Out. It will also retain the same team of producers from the original.
Baywatch ran from 1989 to 1999 with Baywatch: Hawaii continuing the story to 2001. There was also a spin-off Baywatch Nights and a reunion movie Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding in 2003. At its height the show attracted over one billion global viewers a week. The cast included David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson.
In 2017 there was a big-screen remake starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, which received largely negative reviews. In a one-star review, the Guardian’s Steve Rose called it a “lacklustre comedy” which “doesn’t have the wit or the stamina to stay afloat”.
“I think we thought the film might have given us reason to reboot the TV series, but given the mixed reviews that didn’t happen straight away,” said Bob McCourt, international COO of Fremantle, the company that owns the rights, back in 2018.
The film is the latest TV hit from the past to receive a contemporary upgrade following in the footsteps of Hawaii Five-0, MacGyver and Magnum PI.
