A Baywatch reboot is coming, of course

This is what we in the biz call “easy money”: combine established IP, newly reestablished knowledge that a lot of people like watching long-running procedurals, and good-looking young actors in bathing suits. Baywatch was always going to get rebooted (again), it was only a matter of when. Now we have the answer, which is “imminently,” according to a new report.

Deadline first shared news that a new Baywatch was in the works back in April 2023. Now, Fox has picked up the series on a script plus penalty deal (which means if they don’t move forward, the network has to pay an extra fee), according to Variety. Lara Olsen, whose previous work includes Grey’s Anatomy spin-off Private Practice and the 90210 reboot, has been tapped as the new series’ showrunner. And this is the logline, per the outlet: “Daring ocean rescues, pristine beaches, and iconic red bathing suits are back, along with a whole new generation of Baywatch lifeguards, who 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.”

Baywatch was at one time the most syndicated television show in the world (airing in more than 145 countries, according to Variety) and made stars out of the likes of David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson. The flagship series saw two spin-offs, Baywatch Nights and Baywatch Hawaii. Most recently, there was the poorly received 2017 reboot film starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Zac Efron, and Alexandra Daddario. (“Ultimately, Baywatch can never make up its mind whether it wants to mock glitzy softcore action-fests or just be one,” Sean O’Neal wrote in his A.V. Club review.) The Baywatch concept may generally be more style over substance, but after an era of prestige TV, people might be ready for some good old-fashioned mind-numbing style.