Deadline reveals that Baywatch is heading back to the small screen. Freemantle has reportedly been developing a reboot of the iconic property for some time and has already held early talks with a variety of broadcasters and streamers.
A smash hit in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the classic beach drama was rebooted in 2017 with Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles. Unfortunately, it flopped and put a series with serious franchise potential back on the shelf.
The original Baywatch made stars out of David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson, and was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonann.
Cancelled after its first season, Baywatch later returned and ran for 10 more seasons. Along with the main series, a spin-off titled Baywatch Nights followed as did Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding, a two-hour reunion TV movie.
When it comes to this reboot, it follows some complications surrounding the rights to Baywatch. Freemantle managed to acquire the property in 2018, but only after All American Television was acquired by Pearson, which later became, you guessed it, Freemantle. However, Beta held the international distribution rights up until a few years ago.
"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," Fremantle COO Bob McCourt said in 2018. "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."
"We would definitely think seriously about making a new series and maybe we’ll get approached by some broadcasters about making one."
It's clearly still early days for the project, but at least one famous fan has already expressed an interest in starring in this new take on Baywatch...