The popular ’90s beach drama Baywatch will return, but will series stars Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff also return?
Fox landed a reboot of the popular series as the network closed a deal with Freemantle, according to Variety on Monday.
The series originally starred Hasselhoff, now 71, from 1989 to 1999 before being recast as Baywatch Hawaii from 1999 to 2001, starring Jason Momoa.
He also starred in the spin-off series Baywatch Nights that aired from 1995 to 1997.
Actress Anderson, 56, who shared love advice last week, led the red swimsuit brigade that included actresses such as Yasmine Bleeth, Nicole Eggert, Alexandra Paul, Parker Stevenson, Erika Eleniak, plus several others.
The popular ’90s beach drama Baywatch will return, but will series stars Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff also return? the cast is seen in 1995
Anderson is seen in her iconic role as CJ Parker in the 1990s.
It’s unclear if Anderson, Hasselhoff or any of the series regulars will return to the franchise in some capacity.
The original series took place on a Los Angeles beach where a team of lifeguards led by Lt. Mitch Buchannon (Hasselhoff) save lives, deal with personal drama, fight crime, and engage in over-the-top adventures on a daily basis.
It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz and Gregory J. Bonann, as it was inspired by Bonann’s time as a Los Angeles County lifeguard.
The four will serve as executive producers of the upcoming one-hour drama.
The original series was hosted by Bonann and aired on CBS and then the pilot Baywatch: Panic At The Malibu Pier was sold to NBC and aired as a television movie and was so successful that it was picked up for a 12-episode season.
Fox and Freemantle have chosen Lara Olsen as showrunner of the new series according to Variety.
The synopsis for the revamped Baywatch reads: “Daring ocean rescues, pristine beaches, and iconic red swimsuits are back, along with a whole new generation of Baywatch lifeguards, navigating complicated and messy personal lives in this action-packed reboot that proves that there is the family you are born into and the family you find.’
The original series was a global phenomenon, airing in over 145 countries at one point, more than any other show on television.
Actress Anderson, 56 (pictured in the 1990s), who shared love advice last week, led the red swimsuit brigade that included actresses such as Yasmine Bleeth, Nicole Eggert, Alexandra Paul, Parker Stevenson, Erika Eleniak, plus several others
Traci Bingham, Donna D’Errico, Yasmine Bleeth, Gena Lee Nolin and Nancy Valen appear from left to right in 2001.
The series originally starred Hasselhoff, now 71, from 1989 to 1999 before being recast as Baywatch Hawaii from 1999 to 2001, starring Jason Momoa (pictured left in 2000).
Recently, the franchise was rebooted in a different way, as a feature film was released in 2017.
The film, starring CJ Parker, Alexandra Daddario as Summer, Ilfenesh Hadera as Stephanie Holden, Dwayne Johnson as Mitch Buchannon, Zac Efron as Matt Brody and Jon Bass as Ronnie (seen from left to right), was a box office success as raised $178 million worldwide
According to Variety, the series’ PR team even made up a statistic calling it the ‘No. 1 series in the world”, which even appeared as a fact in numerous publications.
Fox has a previous relationship with the franchise, having aired the television reunion movie Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding in 2003.
Recently, the franchise was rebooted in a different way when a feature film was released in 2017.
The film, starring Dwayne ‘The Rock Johnson, Alexandra Daddario, Priyanka Chopra, Zach Efron and Kelly Rohrbach, was a box office success as it grossed $178 million worldwide.
The film also featured cameos by Hasselhoff and Anderson.