Pamela Anderson Wasn’t Wanted
Whaaaat? What would Baywatch be without the brilliance and elegance of the one and only Pamela Anderson? Well David Hasselhoff didn’t really want Anderson to be on Baywatch because he insisted that it was a show for kids, and Playboy cover girls were not acceptable… according to him.
Pamela Anderson Wasn’t Wanted
Hasselhoff Wanted His Glory
Director, Douglas Schwartz, believed that David Hasselhoff wasn’t actually concerned about Pamela Anderson being in Playboy. Rather he believed that the Hoff’s concern was that she would upstage him on the show. Well? Was he wrong?
Hasselhoff Wanted His Glory
They Couldn’t Eat Up
Who said it would be easy to fit into those iconic swimsuits? Aside from the fact that every actor and actress had his and her own custom-sized swimsuit, they were held accountable for remaining slim enough to fit into them.
They Couldnt Eat Up
Leo Almost Made It
15-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio almost got the part of “Hobie”, Hasselhoff’s son on the show. Why didn’t he? Well David Hasselhoff thought that it made it him look too old. Really?! Instead Baywatch casting went with Jeremy Jackson who was just nine years old.
Leo Almost Made It
They Liked It Slippery
On a monthly basis during shooting, the cast went through around 40 bottles of sunscreen! Considering the amount of time they spent in the sun and the risk of skin cancer, it all makes sense.
They Liked It Slippery
Eye Candy
Would you believe it if I told you that a blind man directed 40 episodes of Baywatch? Well, Douglas Schwartz, who was legally blind, was only able to use 10% of his vision. He’s also the only member of the Director’s Guild of America who’s blind.
Eye Candy
Baywatch Nights Failed
Baywatch was on fire, so why not create a spin-off? Well, the failure to make Baywatch Nights work forced producers to literally pay to have it remain on the air so that it wouldn’t destroy the Baywatch brand. So we have to ask, was Baywatch Nights a TV show or a really expensive commercial?
Baywatch Nights Failed
A Real Life Guard
We couldn’t keep our eyes off those smoking hot lifeguards in the show, but would we ever really want one of them to rescue us if we were drowning? If it was Michael Newman coming to our rescue perhaps we wouldn’t mind, since he was the only character on the show who in actual fact was a real lifeguard.
A Real Life Guard
Khal Drogo Almost Never Made It
Although Baywatch was a hit show, it had the potential to destroy an actor’s entire career. Take Jason Momoa (Aquaman from Justice League, too) for example. After his role on the lifeguard show, nobody could separate him from the hunky lifeguard that he played. “I couldn’t find an agent for four years after Baywatch,” he said in an interview. “They don’t take you seriously. They think you’re a pretty boy, this and that … It’s hard—no one really makes it off that show.”
Khal Drogo Almost Never Made It
David Hasselhoff’s Viewership
When 1.1 billion people from about 158 countries are watching your show, I guess you’ve earned the right to boast your achievement. David Hasselhoff was really killing it and during the time that Baywatch was on air, he received the title of the “Most Watched Actor In TV History”.
David Hasselhoffs Viewership
A Low Record
Despite having a massive audience from all around the world, Baywatch was achieving different kinds of world records. One such record is that of longest running American TV series (1989 – 2001) not to win an Emmy Award.
A Low Record
The Cast Didn’t Get Paid Much
You would think that a show as big as Baywatch would rake in the cash. Well, it sure did, but the actors (save Hasselhoff) didn’t get too much of it. In the beginning Pamela Anderson was getting paid as low as $4,000 and then moving up to $40,000. If you’re wondering if that’s considered a lot or not, understand that the cast of Friends received up to $1 million per episode at some point! Wow!
The Cast Didnt Get Paid Much
Home Cinema Viewings In Iran
When we say that Baywatch made it big around the world, maybe you don’t realize how much so. The wife of Iran’s Shah told David Hasselhoff that Iranian citizens with satellite dishes would actually charge neighbors to come over and watch the show at their house.
Home Cinema Viewings In Iran
Hypnotizing the Newbie
Let’s face it, when Pamela Anderson left the show, she left a pretty hard position to fill. Producers picked up Gena Lee Nolin to be the new blonde bombshell on the team, but she had terrible stage fright. So some hypnotherapy before scenes calmed her down and had her acting like a charm.
Hypnotizing The Newbie
The Producers Were Careful Spenders
The producers of the show made sure to cut costs wherever they could, but at least we didn’t notice. They used the lifeguard kitchen as a break room for the crew, and it even had a real working fridge plus running water. The “gym set” was actually used by the crew to buff themselves up during the breaks.
The Producers Were Careful Spenders
Slow Mo Running Scenes
Michael Berk, one of the producers of the show said that the slow-motion running scenes were inspired by athletes at the 1988 Olympic Games. David Hasselhoff claimed that the purpose of the slow-mo scenes was to lengthen shooting without needing to film more. Buuuut we have our own belief as to why… we don’t need to say anymore.
Slow Mo Running Scenes
Baywatch Almost Never Happened
After 11 seasons it’s hard to believe that the show almost never made it out of the gate. But the fact is that when Baywatch first aired it got such a poor reception that they thought they might have to shut it down. Thank goodness they didn’t!
Baywatch Almost Never Happened
They Couldn’t All Swim
Listen, it would be totally acceptable to assume that all lifeguards (real or acting) know how to swim. Well on the set of Baywatch, most of the cast were hardly even average swimmers, and Pamela Anderson admitted that she herself avoided swimming as much as possible.
They Couldnt All Swim
There Were Lots Of Guest Appearances
Many long-running shows have famous guests making appearances, and Baywatch was no different. One such young guest appearance was Mila Kunis, who would later become a fixture on the hilarious TV series, That 70’s Show.
There Were Lots Of Guest Appearances
Baywatch Down Under
We’re talking about Australia, people. The show was supposed to move to Avalon Beach in New South Wales, Australia, but the locals didn’t want to have any of it – I know, crazy. Instead Hawaii happily volunteered to host the epic show.
Baywatch Down Under
Tommy Lee Got A Little Too Jealous
We can totally understand getting jealous when your partner gets a little too cozy with someone else. But what about when it’s part of their job? Tommy Lee Jones got pretty mad when he watched Pamela Anderson getting “too close” to her co-star David Chokachi. We’re talking about breaking windows and screaming to the point that security would have to step in and remove him from the set.
Tommy Lee Got A Little Too Jealous
The Hoff Sang For The Credits
There’s no doubt that we were all watching the opening scenes and credits, but what about those at the end? Well David Hasselhoff himself sang “Current Love” by Kevin Savigar and Todd Cerney during the closing credits from season 2 to season 4. But wait, there’s more! He also did his own rendition of “I Believe” with Laura Branigan at the end of season 5.
The Hoff Sang For The Credits
The Germans Loved Baywatch
Aside from falling in love with Baywatch (as most of the world did), Germans already had a long-time love for “The Hoff”. From the days of Knight Rider, David Hasselhoff had both sides of Germany falling in love with him way before Baywatch became a thing.
The Germans Loved Baywatch
Friends With Benefits
After the show made such huge success, it became an easy reference for a show that all people can watch and enjoy… maybe with a little more emphasis on males. Friends paid tribute to Baywatch in the episode, “The One Where Eddie Moves In,” when Joey and Chandler watch and discuss Baywatch over the phone. Chandler had the crowd laughing hysterically when he remarked, “always keep them running… always running… run, run, run Yasmine, run! Run like the wind!”
Friends With Benefits
All’s Well That Ends Well
Even though David Hasselhoff wasn’t too bent on the idea of having Pamela Anderson on the show, it worked out well for him. In fact their partnership in the screen kept fans intrigued. Most fans agree that she complemented him and didn’t detract from him at all.
Alls Well That Ends Well
A Cast Member Was A Pro Surfer
Do you remember Jimmy Slade from the third and fourth seasons of the show? Well “Slade” was actually a professional surfer by the name of Kelly Slater who would become both the youngest and oldest surfer to win the World Surf League Champion, and he did so a record of 11 times!
A Cast Member Was A Pro Surfer
He Wanted To Be Written Out Of The Show
Kelly Slater quickly realized that Baywatch was not for him and he made it clear to everyone. Slater asked to be written out of the show so that he could pursue his surfing career… and because he thought the plots were completely ridiculous. He cynically remarked, “I’d be like, ‘What!? there’s an octopus that’s stealing surfboards and hiding them in a secret cove and I’m going to fight him in the next show? Who writes this s***?’”
He Wanted To Be Written Out Of The Show
The New Baywatch
Hold on to your hats, we aren’t talking about a new Baywatch TV series, but the movie that came out in 2017. The movie, featuring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron (among others) wasn’t as successful as they had wished.
The New Baywatch
Making Cameos
Both Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff teamed up again for an appearance in Baywatch (2017). The two made quick appearances but had fans of the original show excited to see them in action again.
Making Cameos
Bigger B…udgets
Baywatch had a couple of issues with continuity in their show. The reason/s? Well there were actually two reasons and both of them fell on the shoulders (if you will) of Pamela Anderson. Midway through season 7 she returned to the set with a larger bust! Yep, breast implants. Nope, not flotation devices.
Bigger B…udgets
