Hollywood
‘Baywatch’ remake in the works at Fremantle
Fremantle is developing a TV series reboot of ‘Baywatch’, the 90s series starring David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson.
‘Baywatch’ is returning to our screens. According to reports, Fremantle Entertainment has been developing a reboot of the classic beach drama series and has had early talks with a number of broadcasters and streamers.
The talks could bring back one of the biggest shows of the late 1980s and 1990s. However, there are currently no creatives attached to the reboot.
The original series is known for helping the careers of David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson, despite being canceled after only one season. The series followed a group of lifeguards who patrolled the beaches of LA County.
‘Baywatch’ history
However, ‘Baywatch’ was brought back for 10 more seasons after the producers brought ABC the rights and produced a syndicated version with All American Television with the help of funding from German distributor Beta Taurus.
The success continued beyond 10 seasons, as there was also a ‘Baywatch Nights’ TV series spin-off and a ‘Baywatch: Hawaii Wedding’ movie which starred Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron.
The upcoming reboot is not the first time a ‘Baywatch’ revival has been considered. Back in 2018, Fremantle International COO Bob McCourt told Deadline that a remake has “definitely been discussed” after the company remastered the old episodes into a high definition to sell to global broadcasters.
“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. I think if this remastered version is sold extensively and a new audience comes to Baywatch, then it will give us a real indication as to whether a new series could be successful,” he said at the time.
“We would definitely think seriously about making a new series and maybe we’ll get approached by some broadcasters about making one.”
The 90s reboot trend
The ‘Baywatch’ revival is just one of the many 1990s shows being rebooted lately. ‘King of the Hill,’ ‘Quantum Leap,’ ‘Frasier,’ and ‘Waiting to Exhale,’ were all picked up for reboots recently