The Baywatch cast has come full circle as they reunite after three decades for the Hulu documentary After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun. Produced by ABC News Studios, the docu-series features the veteran stars of the iconic lifeguard drama as they look back on the challenges and joys of navigating the heights of fame in the 1990s.
ABC News released an exclusive featurette on Tuesday, August 26, offering behind-the-scenes insight into the lives of Baywatch stars throughout its 11 seasons. “I look back and thought there really was no better job than Baywatch,” quips David Chokachi, who starred as lifeguard Cody Madison, in the very first scene of the preview.
Sitting next to him is Alexandra Paul, 61, who plays Stephanie Holden, and she nods readily before the scene switches to glimpses of Baywatch vibes. Next, Jeremy Jackson, between stars Traci Bingham and Carmen Electra, exclaims happily that his childhood apparitions are finally coming to life.
“It’s finally time for childhood memories to surface,” laughs Jackson, hugging his older co-stars Bingham and Electra. The 43-year-old actor and singer played David Hasselhoff’s child Hobie Buchannon.
Nostalgic scenes from the Baywatch era are shown on screen, while producer and actress Nicole Eggert described Baywatch, which hit theaters in 1989, as a “fantasy.” Creator Douglas Schwartz, meanwhile, boasted that 1.2 billion viewers, or, as he puts it, “the highest number of viewers” in television history, tuned in each week to watch new episodes.
While the world knows how extraordinarily famous Baywatch was, most have no idea about the equally grueling challenges the cast and crew had to overcome. The Baywatch cast remembers how the show changed their lives, but is also grateful for the long-awaited opportunity to share their off-screen struggles with their loyal fan base.
“Coming back together just brings us together because of what we’ve been through – the good and the bad that comes with fame,” Alexandra Paul noted, reflecting on the “unique” experiences the cast once shared together.
Likewise, Erika Eleniak was grateful for the opportunity to speak “openly” about her behind-the-scenes dealings and the massive impact the television series has had on all areas of her life. It’s safe to say that the Baywatch cast has been waiting for such an endeavor.
Three decades later, ABC has brought the star-studded cast back together with a four-part documentary called After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun to examine how Baywatch became the most-watched television show in the world.
Pamela Anderson, a former Playboy magazine model who was in the spotlight for decades, appears near the end of the clip and jokes that she is proud of “almost” all of her work.
One Baywatch cast member we don’t see in the featurette is Yasmine Bleeth. Bleeth was a huge star in the television industry and her fan base alone once drew many viewers, but the actress and model has unofficially retired from the spotlight after a long career in the public eye.
“After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun” is scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, August 28 on Hulu.
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