By Danielle Broadway
LOS ANGELES, Feb 19 (Reuters) – Aspiring TV lifeguards strutted their beach bodies at an audition on Wednesday for FOX’s 2026 reboot of “Baywatch,” a franchise that 30 years ago set a Guinness World Record for the most-viewed weekly television series in the world.
The original sun-kissed program, led by David Hasselhoff, ran from 1989 to 2001 and sent its lifeguards on nonstop, high‑surf adventures that ranged from ocean saves to shark scares.
At its 1996 peak, the series had an estimated weekly audience of more than 1.1 billion people across 142 countries and helped launch the careers of international superstars Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra and Jason Momoa.
The reboot highlights how Hollywood is leaning on nostalgia‑powered franchises to stand out in an increasingly competitive streaming landscape.
THOUSANDS TURN UP FOR BEACH AUDITIONS
Marina del Rey was buzzing as roughly 2,000 hopefuls flooded the beach, many in eye‑catching red swimwear — a playful nod to the iconic “Baywatch” colors. They underwent interviews and posed for photos.
“I was really excited to see a ‘Baywatch’ reboot. I grew up around the ocean. My dad’s Puerto Rican, my mom’s actually from Southern California, so it’s just in my blood,” Sara Acevedo Ruben, 27, from Los Angeles, told Reuters at the auditions.
“I surf, and spend a lot of time on the beach, and I think that it would just be such a fun project to work on, and am so excited to even get to be in the room today,” she added.
Kibwe Williamson, 48, an engineer from Florida, said he aimed to do some other kind of work.
“I’m hoping this is the beginning of a change of career, you know. I’ve tried to already start moving to storytelling, right now I’m an engineer, I’m hoping I can maybe do something else,” he said.
The series is scheduled to begin shooting in March on L.A.’s famous Venice Beach as well as at the FOX studio lot.
“We’re excited to discover fresh faces with authentic SoCal energy as we bring back Baywatch for a new generation of fans,” Michael Thorn, president of FOX Television Network, said in a press release.
The revival taps into a deep well of ’90s nostalgia, drawing fans who remember the show’s global heyday and newcomers eager to redefine it for 2026.
“I don’t see it as a new show — it’s really a continuation of where we left off,” said David Chokachi, an original Baywatch cast member returning for the reboot.
“You’re essentially fast‑forwarding 20 years, which I think is a genius concept,” he added.
(Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Jane Ross; Editing by Howard Goller)
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