Fox’s ‘Baywatch’ Reboot Gets January 2027 Premiere Date

The red swimsuits are coming back — just not quite as soon as some fans were hoping. Fox confirmed on Monday that its highly anticipated Baywatch reboot will premiere in late January 2027, sliding the show from a fall 2026 debut into a coveted midseason launch window. And if you’re reading the tea leaves, there’s a strong chance the premiere will land right after the NFC Championship game on January 31 — a move that would put the show in front of tens of millions of football viewers on night one.

Fox Television Network president Michael Thorn didn’t mince words about what the show means to the network. “There’s only one Baywatch,” he told reporters. “It’s one of the most iconic, popular television franchises in TV history.” And on the decision to hold it for midseason: “We have a rich history of launching series midseason. We just did it most recently with Best Medicine and Memory of a Killer, and Doc before that. It goes all the way back to 24 and Empire and the 9-1-1s and The Resident. Obviously, Baywatch is a huge, huge priority for us, and we think we have a great opportunity to set the show up for success there.”

That strategy already paid off handsomely for the network this past season — Best Medicine drew 10.8 million total multiplatform viewers for its first episode, and Memory of a Killer pulled in 16.2 million. Fox is clearly hoping lightning strikes a third time, only bigger.

What the New Baywatch Actually Looks Like

The reboot picks up the Buchannon family line. Stephen Amell — who most recently starred in the short-lived Suits: L.A. on NBC — plays Hobie Buchannon, now a Baywatch Captain who’s grown out of his wild-child reputation. His world gets complicated fast when his biological daughter Charlie Vale, played by Jessica Belkin, shows up on his doorstep wanting to join the team in Venice Beach. It’s a smart enough hook: longtime fans get a direct thread back to the original series, while newer viewers get a family drama they can follow without any nostalgia required.

The ensemble around Amell is a deliberate mix of television credibility and social media reach. Pretty Little Liars alum Shay Mitchell plays Trina, a former lawyer turned lifeguard. Hassie Harrison and Thaddeus LaGrone round out the core cast alongside Noah Beck, Brooks Nader, and Livvy Dunne — who makes her acting debut in the series as a character named Grace. The show is also leaning into its legacy where it counts: David Chokachi is back as Cody Madison, and Erika Eleniak is confirmed to appear, making this a genuine continuation rather than a full reboot from scratch.

Thorn described the show as “pure escapism with a cast that blends top television talent with major social influencers,” and acknowledged the weight of the moment: “We’re feeling great about where we are, but also feeling pressure of already heightened, fanned expectations. It’s an exciting challenge for my teams and I.”

Behind the camera, Burn Notice creator Matt Nix is serving as showrunner and executive producer, with McG — who directed the pilot — also executive producing. The original show’s creators Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, and Doug Schwartz are all attached as executive producers, and the series is co-produced by Fox Entertainment and Fremantle. Production is already underway in Los Angeles, including on location at Venice Beach and at the Fox Studio Lot in Century City. The show is set to run 12 episodes.

At its peak, the original Baywatch was the most-watched show on the planet — airing in more than 200 countries and reaching over a billion viewers weekly during its 11-season run. Fox is clearly banking on that name recognition translating. The reboot has already locked in Toyota as its exclusive automotive partner, with a beer partner announcement expected at the network’s upfront presentation. That’s real advertiser heat before a single episode has aired.

What Else Fox Has Coming

Baywatch isn’t the only new show Fox is building around. The network also announced The Interrogator, a Washington D.C.-set espionage thriller written by and starring Stephen Fry, who plays former MI6 agent Conrad Henry — described by Thorn as “a sexy rebel in his own right” with “razor sharp intellect and deceptively charming” energy. Jenna Elfman co-stars as the handler for his team of brilliant outsiders, with Jessica Sula, Michael Beach, Luke Kleintank, and Maria Zhang also in the cast. It’s co-produced by Lionsgate Television and Fox Entertainment, and will also debut at midseason.

Fox’s fall 2026 schedule itself is lean on scripted fare — Tuesday night holds Best Medicine and Doc, and Sunday’s Animation Domination block gets a live-action addition with Animal Control (starring Joel McHale) moving in after The Simpsons. Bob’s Burgers, meanwhile, is sitting out the fall for the first time in 14 years, held alongside Family Guy and American Dad! for midseason. It’s a notable shift for a block that’s been one of broadcast TV’s most reliable Sunday night institutions.

Fox CEO Rob Wade acknowledged the network’s heavy reliance on existing IP, noting that “90% of our slate is returning shows,” while adding that the new series are designed to be “incredibly complementary.” The network has also paused live-action comedy development while it figures out a sustainable production model for the genre — a candid admission that speaks to the broader challenges facing broadcast comedy right now.

Looking further ahead, Fox already has two series locked in for the 2027-2028 season: a new version of Highway to Heaven from Friday Night Lights creator Jason Katims, and — perhaps most exciting for animation fans — Stewie, a Family Guy spinoff from Seth MacFarlane. The show follows the world’s most beloved talking baby after he gets kicked out of his old preschool and is forced into a new one alongside kids he doesn’t know and, somehow, a 75-year-old class turtle with opinions about everything. MacFarlane voices Stewie and executive produces; Kirker Butler, who co-created the spinoff with MacFarlane, serves as showrunner.

For now, though, all eyes are on Baywatch. Thorn put it plainly: “It’s iconic, it’s global, and it captures the very best of the California dream.” January can’t come fast enough.