Baywatch Scores ION Slot

WEST PALM BEACH, January
29: The classic series Baywatch,
represented by FremantleMedia, has scored a slot on ION Television, via a deal
with distributor Litton Entertainment.

The show joins ION’s
prime-time lineup on March 3 at 10 p.m., airing Mondays to Thursdays. Brandon
Burgess, the chairman and CEO of ION Media Networks, referred to the pickup as
“another fun example of our strategy to offer upbeat, mainstream programming to
our viewers. This iconic series is a multi-generational TV staple, and America’s
Got Talent and Borat have made David Hasselhoff and Pam Anderson as hip
and relevant as ever.”

Set on the beaches of
Malibu, Baywatch centers on the
daily adventures of a team of athletic California lifeguards, their life-saving
work and their off-duty relationships.

“This brand goes from
strength to strength,” said Lisa Honig, the VP of program distribution for
FremantleMedia Enterprises in North America. “Baywatch continues to draw audiences on-air all over the
world and remains a lucrative revenue stream off-air with a strong demand in
both the home entertainment and consumer products markets. We’re delighted to
be working with ION and Litton to bring the show back to the domestic fan
base.”

Baywatch, which premiered on NBC in 1989 and ran in
first-run syndication from 1991-2001, was executive produced by Michael Berk,
Gregory J. Bonan and Douglas Schwartz.

—By Mansha Daswani