Summary
Ahead of the network’s plannedBaywatchreboot, Fox has thrown its weight behind an eerily comparable series, releasing in the fall of this year.A remake of the original 1989 action dramaabout lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles (and Hawaii inBaywatch: Hawaii)has been a long time in the making. FormerBaywatchactor David Chokachi pitched a reboot for years, getting so far in pre-development stages as to have met with CBS and scouted locations for a TV revival. Unfortunately, Seth Gordon’s critically panned, poorly performing 2017Baywatchmovie virtually killed all progresson Chokachi’s reboot.
Baywatch(2017) retains a 17% Tomatometer score and a 57% audience score onRotten Tomatoes.
Last April, though, production company Fremantle took up the charge, finally getting aBaywatchremake in development. At the time, Fremantle was only in talks with Fox Entertainment, while the latter company was knee-deep in developing another lifeguard drama with Warner Bros. Television. Ever since news broke thatFox is pursuing aBaywatchremake with Fremantle, two lifeguard series have been expected to populate its schedule, likely with overlap. AsBaywatchis still in its earliest stages, Warner Bros. and Fox’s lifeguard series will test the waters on small screens first, and already, Fox has great faith in its success.
Original Baywatch Star Carmen Electra Is Open To A Reboot
In a recent interview, original Baywatch actress Carmen Electra states that she is open to a possible reboot of the television classic.
Rescue: Hi-Surf Sounds Very Similar To Baywatch
Rescue: HI-Surf Will Depict The Personal And Professional Lives Of Lifeguards
How Fox will maintain such a kindred series to theBaywatchfranchise, with aBaywatchremake materializing on the horizon, remains to be seen - but the network doesn’t seem to be phased by any problems that may arise out of parallels.
On September 22,Fox will release the action dramaRescue: HI-Surf,and it sounds incredibly similar to the premise ofBaywatchin that it aims to document the interpersonal lives of lifeguardswho patrol a populated and dangerous coastline. Yet more,Rescue: HI-Surfwill take place in Hawaii, the same destination whereBaywatchwas centered from 1999 to 2001. How Fox will maintain such a kindred series to theBaywatchfranchise, with aBaywatchremake materializing on the horizon, remains to be seen - but the network doesn’t seem to be phased by any problems that may arise out of parallels.
Zoe Cipres
Hina
According toDeadline,Fox has doubled down on itsRescue: HI-Surfcommitment, picking up seven additional episodes for season 1 (on top of its original 12) and securing a spot for the series to play after the 2025 Super Bowl. Immediately following Super Bowl LIX, a special episode ofRescue: HI-Surfwill air in an opportunity Fox has not given to a scripted series in the last eight years. Fox is further elevatingRescue HI-Surfby giving it"the strongest possible drama lead-in on the fall schedule"following its flagship series9-1-1: Lone Staron Mondays.
Matt Kester (Animal Kingdom,Outsiders) serves as showrunner and executive producer ofRescue: HI Surf.
What We Know About Baywatch’s TV Revival
Baywatch’s TV Revival Is In Its Pre-Production Stage
What’s known abouttheBaywatchremake’s story doesn’t seem to differentiate it from Fox’sRescue: HI-Surf.VarietyrevealsBaywatch’snew and eerily analogous logline to be:
“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…”
Then again, Fox could surprise audiences with two equally entertaining lifeguard TV series that are different enough to draw interest and prompt audiences to take a chance on both. When more information about theBaywatchremake surfaces, its strengths againstRescue HI-Surfwill be more easily identifiable. As of now, only a few details outside its general premise are available.
TheBaywatchremake is written by Lara Olsen, who will also serve as its showrunner. Olsen has writing and long-running producing credits for popular drama series such asPrivate Practice,90210, andReba. She is partnering with originalBaywatchcreators Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, and Doug Schwartz, who will executive produce the remake alongside her. While this information doesn’t totally speak to how the series will compare toRescue: HI-Surf, it does promise that theBaywatchremake will bejam-packed with drama and recall the writing and production characteristics from the original hit series.
Baywatch
Cast
Baywatch is a drama series that follows the lives of dedicated lifeguards patrolling the beaches of Los Angeles, combining action, adventure, and personal stories as they protect the public from various emergencies.
