Are you ready to go back to the beach?
FOX sure is.
On Monday, the network confirmed a reboot of the iconic 1989-2001 series is in the works.
The project already has a showrunner attached in Lara Olsen – best known for Netflix’s brilliant but canceled Spinning Out.
There will also be some creatives from the original series along to tackle this new wave.
Original creators Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonann have all scored executive producer credits for the one-hour drama.
What is the Baywatch reboot about?
The updated Baywatch features “daring ocean rescues, pristine beaches, and iconic red bathing suits are back, along with a whole new generation of Baywatch lifeguards,” according to the official logline.
These new lifeguards “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 previously found success in 2003 with its reunion movie Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.
The original series boasted a cast that included Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff.
Could Baywatch alums return?
Baywatch started its run on NBC in 1989 but was a ratings disaster.
The series then moved to syndication domestically, sold to more than 145 countries, and became a massive success story.
Baywatch most recently staged a comeback as a movie in 2017, but the flick failed to generate much interest at the box office despite a relatively stacked cast.
Reboots are tricky to pull off, and this latest foray into the Baywatch universe couldn’t have come at a better time for FOX.
FOX recently lost 9-1-1 to ABC
Last year, the network lost its most-watched and highest-rated drama, 9-1-1, after cast salaries became too much for the network.
The show, owned by Disney, has moved to the Disney-owned ABC and will premiere its Titanic-esque seventh season on March 14.
As a result, FOX is on the hunt for splashy new dramas to help fill the void.
Baywatch isn’t the only lifeguard drama in the works at the network, either, with the Arielle Kebbel-led Rescue: Hi Surf in production for next season.
FOX has two lifeguard dramas in development for the 2024-25 season
FOX will likely go all out in the promotion because we guess these two shows will air on the same night as a strand of lifeguard-centric dramas.
We don’t know how that will pan out for the network, but at least FOX is open to switching things up.
Many broadcast networks are struggling because they are unable to offer different content.
If Baywatch can get the casting right, there’s a high probability the show will be a hit.