The lifeguards are almost back on duty. Fox has set a premiere date for its Baywatch reboot, and the new series will debut on Wednesday, January 6 at 9 pm.
The network had already said the show was coming in January, but now fans have an exact night to circle on the calendar.
A Rare Scripted Wednesday For Fox
Fox has not revealed its full midseason schedule yet, but The Masked Singer has held the 8 pm slot on Wednesdays for the last couple of years and is expected to stay there as the lead-in for Baywatch.
The move is notable for the network, since this will be the first time since 2024 that Fox has put scripted programming on Wednesday nights. Back then, Animal Control aired at 9 pm, followed by Family Guy. Pairing one of the biggest reality shows on network television with a nostalgic reboot is a clear sign Fox wants this one to land with a big audience out of the gate.
Stephen Amell Takes Over The Buchannon Legacy
The new Baywatch stars Stephen Amell as Hobie Buchannon, the wild-child son of David Hasselhoff's Mitch from the original series. Hobie is now a Baywatch Captain, following in his father's footsteps, but his life is turned upside down when his daughter Charlie Vale, played by Jessica Belkin, shows up at his door wanting to carry on the family legacy.
The rest of the new team includes Hassie Harrison as Nat, Shay Mitchell as Trina, Thaddeus LaGrone as Brad, Noah Beck as Luke and Brooks Nader as Selene. Gymnast and social media star Livvy Dunne makes her acting debut in a recurring role as Grace, and original series favorite David Chokachi is back as Cody Madison.
Amell has compared putting on the red swimsuit to suiting up as Oliver Queen on Arrow, and the first trailer certainly leans into that idea. As we covered when it dropped, the Baywatch reboot trailer features slow-motion running, swimsuits and a lot of Stephen Amell, along with an opening rescue after a plane collides with a parasail.
What Fox Is Promising
Fox has said fans can expect "all the adrenaline-fueled rescues, tangled relationships, complicated chemistry and beachside heroics that defined the original," but with a new cast, contemporary challenges and a renewed mission to save lives along the beaches of Los Angeles.
That balance will be important. The original Baywatch ran for 11 seasons and became one of the most-watched shows in the world, while the 2017 movie with Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron went for an R-rated comedy approach that did not catch on with audiences. This version looks much closer to the earnest action-drama tone of the original, with real stakes in the water and family drama on the sand.
Why January Makes Sense
Launching a sun-soaked beach show in the middle of winter might sound odd, but it could work in its favor. January is usually a quieter time on network television, and a bright, easy-to-watch action series could stand out while viewers are stuck indoors. With The Masked Singer leading into it, the reboot should get plenty of eyes on its first episode. It also gives Amell another shot at leading a network drama after Suits LA was cancelled, and he has made it clear he sees Hobie as a different kind of hero, one who is calm under pressure in the water but completely lost when it comes to parenting a teenager.
Are you planning to watch the new Baywatch when it premieres, or is the original the only version for you?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.