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

Fox is officially bringing back Baywatch — and the network is making sure it lands with a splash. The highly anticipated reboot starring Stephen Amell has been confirmed for a late January 2027 premiere, part of a midseason strategy that Fox is betting big on heading into its 2026-2027 broadcast year.

Fox Television Network President Michael Thorn didn’t mince words about why the show isn’t hitting the fall schedule. “There’s only one Baywatch,” he told reporters. “It’s one of the most iconic, popular television franchises in TV history.” He pointed to the network’s strong track record with midseason launches — citing hits like 24, Empire, the 9-1-1 franchise, The Resident, and, most recently, Memory of a Killer, which pulled 16.2 million total multiplatform viewers for its first episode. “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.”

There’s also a strong chance the show gets a marquee launch slot: Fox’s head of scheduling Dan Harrison confirmed the premiere would land in “late” January, and the timing lines up neatly with either the NFL Divisional Round on January 24 or — more likely — the NFC Conference Championship on January 31. A post-game debut in front of millions of football fans would be exactly the kind of rocket fuel Fox used for Best Medicine and Fear Factor: House of Fear, both of which drew 15 million or more viewers when they launched behind NFL games this past season.

Advertisers are already circling. Toyota has signed on as the show’s exclusive automotive partner, and Fox EVP of ad sales Katrina Cukaj said a beer partner is close to being announced — likely revealed at Fox’s upfront presentation in New York.

Who’s in the New Baywatch — and What’s the Story?

Amell plays Hobie Buchannon, once the wild-child son of original Baywatch icon Mitch Buchannon (David Hasselhoff), now grown up and serving as a Baywatch Captain on Venice Beach. The story kicks off when his biological daughter Charlie Vale, played by Jessica Belkin, shows up on his doorstep wanting to carry on the Buchannon family legacy. It’s a smart hook — fans of the original get a direct line back to the mythology, while new viewers get a family-drama entry point that doesn’t require a nostalgia decoder ring.

The ensemble around Amell is a deliberate mix of TV veterans and social media heavyweights. Pretty Little Liars alum Shay Mitchell plays Trina, a former lawyer turned lifeguard. Hassie Harrison plays Nat, Thaddeus LaGrone plays Brad, Noah Beck plays Luke, and Brooks Nader plays Selene. Livvy Dunne makes her acting debut as Grace in a recurring role. Thorn described the cast as blending “top television talent with major social influencers” — and with Beck, Nader, and Dunne all bringing massive online followings, Fox clearly isn’t leaving the digital audience to chance.

On the legacy side, David Chokachi is back as his original character Cody Madison, and Erika Eleniak has also been confirmed to appear. The original Baywatch creators — Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, and Doug Schwartz — are all attached as executive producers, lending the project a genuine sense of continuity rather than a reboot-in-name-only feel.

Behind the camera, Burn Notice creator Matt Nix is showrunning and executive producing alongside McG, who directed the series premiere. Fox Entertainment and Fremantle are co-producing. The show is set for 12 episodes.

“It’s iconic, it’s global, and it captures the very best of the California dream,” Thorn said. “It’s pure escapism… It’s an honor to bring Baywatch back. We’re feeling great about where we are, but also feeling the pressure of already heightened, fanned expectations. It’s an exciting challenge for my teams and I.”

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. That’s the bar Fox is swinging for.

Also Coming: Stephen Fry’s Spy Thriller and a Very Familiar Talking Baby

Baywatch isn’t the only new drama Fox is holding for midseason. The Interrogator, written by and starring Stephen Fry, is also part of the winter rollout. Fry plays Conrad Henry, a former MI6 agent who leads a team of handpicked outsiders in Washington, D.C. — using charm, intellect, and behavioral manipulation when conventional interrogation fails. Jenna Elfman co-stars as his handler, with Jessica Sula, Michael Beach, Luke Kleintank, and Maria Zhang rounding out the cast. The show is co-produced by Lionsgate Television and Fox Entertainment. Of Fry’s character, Thorn said: “We see a strong signature Fox character, razor sharp intellect and deceptively charming. He’s a sexy rebel in his own right.”

Fox also confirmed that a second drama night will be added at midseason to accommodate both Baywatch and The Interrogator — the specific night is still TBD.

And looking even further ahead: Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy spinoff Stewie is already locked in for the 2027-2028 season. MacFarlane voices the character and executive produces through his Fuzzy Door banner. The premise finds Stewie getting booted from his old preschool and forced into a new, decidedly not-top-of-the-line one — where he eventually starts using his array of devices to take his new classmates on adventures through space and time. Kirker Butler, who co-created the series with MacFarlane, serves as showrunner with Kara Vallow executive producing. It’s produced by 20th Television Animation.

Also already ordered for 2027-2028: a new version of Highway to Heaven from Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood), produced with Amblin Television and Michael Landon Productions.

What Fox’s Fall 2026 Schedule Actually Looks Like

While the marquee new shows wait in the wings, Fox’s fall 2026 lineup is notably lean on scripted fare. Tuesdays carry the only non-animated scripted night, with Best Medicine (Season 2, 14 episodes) and Doc (Season 3, 22 episodes) holding down the 8 and 9 p.m. slots. Sundays get a twist this year: live-action comedy Animal Control, starring Joel McHale and entering its fifth season, moves into the Animation Domination block after The Simpsons, joining Universal Basic Guys and Grimsburg. It’s the first time a live-action comedy has aired on Fox Sundays since 2018.

Notably, Bob’s Burgers — heading into its 17th season — is sitting out fall for the first time in 14 years, joining Family Guy, American Dad!, and Krapopolis in the midseason queue. Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade acknowledged the math plainly: “90% of our slate is returning shows.”

The unscripted bench is deep. Renewed series include Hell’s Kitchen (Seasons 25 and 26), The Masked Singer (Season 15), The Floor (Seasons 6 and 7), Next Level Baker (Seasons 2 and 3), Next Level Chef (Season 6), LEGO Masters (Season 6), Beat Shazam (Season 8), Kitchen Nightmares (Season 3), and more. Wade was candid that some of that unscripted stockpile was built as insurance against a potential writers’ strike. “There was a time in March, and before that January and February, where we were on short we could have been looking at another strike action for this year,” he said. “So we do buy surpluses of shows in the eventuality that there is a crisis or we need them.”

One new unscripted addition: Marriage Market, a dating format hosted by Whitney Cummings where singles hand over their love lives entirely to their closest family members. It’s slated for 2027.

Peter Gallagher (The O.C., Grace and Frankie) is also joining Murder in a Small Town for Season 3, playing Rod Finlayson — described as a charismatic and uber-independent arrival whose presence sets off a chain of upheavals for the show’s leads.

Baywatch is filming now. January can’t come soon enough.