For better or worse, Baywatch is one of the buzziest shows of the 2026-27 season.
Reboots have been the bane of my existence in this industry because I immediately have my guard up, as they rarely hold a candle to their predecessors.
But FOX was quick to announce that this new series would actually have ties to the original, including some characters.
As a result, it feels more like what 90210 was to Beverly Hills, 90210, and I can get on board with that.
Something about the show screams summer, so I was absolutely gobsmacked that FOX is holding it until January 2027.
I get that more people watch TV during the winter months, but with a splashy marketing campaign and a summer bow, FOX could have had another launch akin to what it pulled off with The O.C. over 20 years ago.
Viewership during the summer isn’t as strong as it is during the regular season, but it’s not like the networks even bother with scripted programming anymore once May rolls around.
Remember when Under the Dome and Mistresses co-existed with other big broadcast hits during the summer months?
We can thank streaming for changing that because networks don’t care to program summer anymore.
Viewers want to watch TV on their own terms now, and broadcasters have largely surrendered the season instead of trying to make it exciting.
The good news is that Baywatch will get an initial boost because it’s an extension of such a beloved property.
Nostalgia always shows up for the first handful of episodes of a reboot. Whether people stick around comes down to the finished product.
If FOX had gone full-throttle with marketing for an August launch and aired six episodes weekly before ending on a juicy cliffhanger ahead of a January return, it could have built serious momentum for the series.
Instead, holding it until January makes the show feel like an afterthought, especially because we already know it’s well into production.
But then again, this is the same network that let a Rachel Leigh Cook movie come and go with so little fanfare that our work group chat was up in arms about it.
How do you not heavily promote a movie that actually has breakout potential?
The original Baywatch was lightning in a bottle in terms of success, and I still have reservations about whether that can be replicated.
People forget that Baywatch 1.0 was booted from NBC’s schedule after a single season, long before it became the cultural phenomenon it eventually evolved into.
The cast for this update is a bit hit-and-miss so far.
Stephen Amell, for example, still hasn’t fully shaken Arrow. Every role he takes post-Oliver Queen inevitably draws comparisons to the series that made him a household name.
I don’t like throwing around the term “typecast,” but in this case, it fits. I want to see him fully move beyond that role and settle into the next chapter of his career.
He definitely tried with Heels, but that show didn’t stick around nearly as long as it should have. Then he followed it up with Suits LA, and it felt like Oliver Queen without the vigilante element.
Making Amell the captain and parental figure in the reboot could be a smart way to counter that perception.
Brooks Nader, meanwhile, hasn’t had any substantial acting roles yet, so I’m genuinely curious to see what she brings to the table here.
I hope that her family reality series, Love Thy Nader, captures aspects of her experience on Baywatch because, if the show works, it’ll be fascinating to see the other side of that process.
This is Brooks’ first major role, and there are going to be a lot of eyes on her performance.
The rest of the cast includes a mix of TV veterans like Shay Mitchell alongside newer faces, which honestly feels like the right approach.
It’s refreshing that the series seems interested in creating new stars because so many shows nowadays cast based on social media followings first and acting ability second, and honestly, it’s wild.
Maybe I’m wrong, and Baywatch becomes a massive hit regardless of when it premieres.
The brand recognition is there, the curiosity is there, and FOX clearly believes enough in the project to make it one of the centerpieces of its upcoming slate.
But if the network really wants this reboot to become the next big broadcast obsession instead of just another nostalgia play, it needs to start treating it like an event.
Right now, it feels like FOX has a potentially huge series on its hands and no real urgency about making viewers care before it arrives.
Over to you, TV Fanatics. What are your thoughts on the decision to hold Baywatch until January 2027?
Would have tuned in this summer if it touched down on TV?
Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
Say something in the comments, share if you’re moved to, and keep reading. Independent voices need readers like you.
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