Fox's Baywatch Reboot Gets Official Release Date

Published Oct 26, 2026, 6:22 PM EDT Adam Bentz is a senior news writer at ScreenRant, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and lists. He studied creative writing and English with a concentration in screenwriting at Southern New Hampshire University and interned as a writer/journalist for The Borgen Project, an influential organization that fights global poverty. However, one of his proudest achievements is editing a Leonardo DiCaprio freakout compilation that has over 150K views on YouTube. Adam also fancies himself an amateur film critic on his personal website. Baywatch is back on the beach, as Fox's reboot has officially locked in its release date. The original sun-drenched drama aired for 11 seasons from 1989 to 2001 and, at its peak, was the most-watched show in the world, following lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and later Hawaii. Back in September 2025, the Baywatch reboot was picked up by Fox for the 2026-2027 broadcast season with a 12-episode order. Now, the Baywatch reboot will officially premiere on January 6 at 9 p.m. on Fox. The new series lead, Stephen Amell, shared a post on Instagram showing off the new cast, which also includes Shay Mitchell, Brooks Nader, Hassie Harrison, Livvy Dunne, Noah Beck, David Chokachi, and Thaddeus LaGrone: Fox has yet to unveil its mid-season schedule, but The Masked Singer has occupied its 8 p.m. slot in recent years and is expected to return there next season, setting the stage for Baywatch at 9 p.m. The move would also mark Fox's first time airing a scripted series on Wednesday nights since 2024, when Animal Control aired at 9 p.m., followed by Family Guy at 9:30 p.m. The Baywatch reboot follows former wild child Hobie Buchannon (played by Stephen Amell), son of Mitch (David Hasselhoff) and Gayle Buchannon (Wendie Malick), as he follows in his father's footsteps by serving as a Baywatch Captain. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when his daughter, Charlie Vale (Jessica Belkin), shows up at his doorstep, eager to carry on the Buchannon family legacy. The new Baywatch cast also features Hassie Harrison as Nat, Shay Mitchell as Trina, Thaddeus LaGrone as Brad, Noah Beck as Luke, and Brooks Nader as Selene. Meanwhile, Livvy Dunne will make her acting debut in a recurring role as Grace, while David Chokachi returns to reprise his role from the original series as Cody Madison, an aspiring Olympic swimmer from Fort Wayne, Indiana. In the upcoming reboot, Fox promises that "fans can expect all the adrenaline-fueled rescues, tangled relationships, complicated chemistry and beachside heroics that defined the original — now with a new cast, contemporary trappings, tensions and challenges, and a renewed mission to save lives along Los Angeles' beaches." The original Baywatch helped propel stars such as Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra to fame. The series ran under its original title from 1989 to 1999 before moving to Hawaii and undergoing a major cast shake-up, becoming Baywatch: Hawaii from 1999 to 2001. Its success also spawned the two-season spin-off Baywatch Nights (1995–1997) and a 2017 feature film starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron that failed to make a splash with critics. Network FOX, Hulu Showrunner Lara Olsen, Matt Nix Directors Michael Goi, McG Cast Stephen Amell Hobie Buchannon