Fox Finds Its Next Big Lifeguard Hit: Baywatch Revival to Replace 9-1-1
Ryan Murphy behind it, the first-responder drama instantly provided tons of fast-paced action and high-octane rescues. But by 2023, Fox was realizing that the series was costing them a pretty penny to produce. With enormous production costs of approximately $9 million an episode and a pricey licensing fee to Disney's 20th Television (which owns the rights to the show), Fox decided to throw in the towel with
9-1-1. The series moved on over to ABC, but two years later, the network is still searching for a proper replacement for the first-responder procedural. The good news is that they just might have found it now.
Fox's '9-1-1: Lone Star' and 'Rescue Hi-Surf' Didn't Manage To Draw Audiences In
In 2020, Fox released a spin-off of the original 9-1-1 series called 9-1-1: Lone Star
, featuring Rob Lowe and Gina Torres at the helm and a brand-new location in Austin, Texas. However, as soon as the flagship series moved over to ABC in 2023, 9-1-1: Lone Star
Fox did its best to find another first-responder procedural to air, this time locating the action in Hawaii. Rescue HI-Surf premiered in fall 2024, but was decried by critics and viewers for having way too much melodrama. Audiences just seemed to have a hard time connecting with the characters and storylines. This led to the series being cancelled after one season, leaving Fox in need of another first-responder procedural to fill the void.
The 'Baywatch' Reboot Is Officially Moving Forward
The 11-season run of the show became a pop culture obsession with those famous red bathing suits and sexy running-on-the-beach scenes. The series also demonstrated that first-responder procedurals could take place in unexpected locations with heroes that didn't look like traditional police officers or firefighters. It also helped further gender equality on television.
While some decried the women as being overly sexualized, the series also featured the female characters saving the day just as frequently as the men did. The drama also helped create mega-stars out of
David Hasselhoff, Pamela Anderson, Yasmine Bleeth, and a young Jason Momoa. With the buzz the series created when it was on the air, it's not at all surprising that Fox would be interested in recreating some of that magic with its current lineup.
Fox announced that they'd be greenlighting a Baywatch revival in a straight-to-series order of 12 episodes for the fall 2026 network season. Several of the original creators will be returning to the project, and the showrunner will be
Matt Nix, who created Burn Notice. While we'll have to wait a year to watch the show, there's already some exciting chatter about what we have in store for us. There isn't any additional information yet about casting or locations, but this
Baywatch procedural could be Fox's best chance at finally replacing 9-1-1.
The series already has an IP that people will recognize, which could be a reason why
Rescue HI-Surf failed to take off. Most first-responder shows come with a built-in audience of some kind, and if the revival is working with some of the same team that made the original a success,
Baywatch has a great chance at also making this new iteration a hit too.
Fox has been searching for the right series to finally boost their ratings back to where they were during the
9-1-1 days. Baywatch is a perfect replacement because many people will tune into the premiere just to see how close it is to the original. Any fans of the show from back in the day will likely help Fox get impressive numbers to start out with. As long as the new show brings the drama and excitement that the original was known for, the
Baywatch reboot will likely stick around for some time to come.
The original Baywatch is available to watch on Tubi in the U.S.
Bachelor Nation Reunites to Support a Cause Close to Chris Harrison & Lauren Zima’s Hearts
Lauren Zima and former Bachelor host Chris Harrison cohosted Experience: Austin to celebrate the opening of Experience Camp's first location in Texas.
Experience Camps got a rose.
Former Bachelor host
Experience Camps’ mission is especially important to Lauren, whose dad Gary died while she was in college. She now serves as a volunteer counselor. Plus, adding another special touch to the night, the gala was held at the same venue where Lauren and Chris tied the knot in 2023. (Not to mention, their wedding band The Little Wedding Band also performed.)
And for the big night, Bachelor Nation reunited, with former Bachelors Ben Higgins, Andrew Firestone and Zach Shallcross, who attended with wife Kaity Biggar, all in attendance. Also there were
Andrew, who starred on season three of The Bachelor, served as auctioneer for the night, which marked his first public appearance since his announcing his split from wife Ivana Firestone
Amanda Sarah Cherish Photography“Everyone loves his humor and charisma,” a partygoer shared. “He was the hit of the evening.”
The event's big ticket auction item was a so-called "group date" trip to Napa, which Raven ended up winning for an undisclosed amount.
Amanda Sarah Cherish PhotographyIn fact, the night ended up being a much-needed date night for the couple, who met on season four of Bachelor in Paradise and share sons
“Adam and Raven were especially happy to be there because they had to miss Chris and Lauren’s wedding,” the guest noted. “So this was the perfect fix.”
