Baywatch is back!

It must be the week for cult icons seeing their shows made into movies. Yesterday it was The Shat and TJ Hooker. Today it’s The Hoff's turn, in the form of Baywatch.

Yes, Baywatch. The show that made Pamela Anderson a star (thanks for that, then), launched the masturbatory fantasies of a million men and brought the world a David Hasselhoff sans Kitt.

The tale of ridiculously buff lifeguards on Malibu beach was originally pitched to DreamWorks seven years ago as a big budget, semi-serious action piece, but it got swallowed up by the riptides of Development Hell.

But now, a former DreamWorks executive is getting it going again at Paramount – but this time as a comedy.

Writer Jeremy Garelick, who most recently polished up The Hangover has been given the job of writing and directing - in a massive show of faith - a comedy version.

"It felt like the template to do a movie that was similar to 'Stripes' and 'Police Academy,' the comedies I loved growing up," Garelick told Variety.

"Rather than trying to pitch the tone, I figured it would be easier to write the first act to convey who these characters were.”

The new take will apparently see two new lifeguards – gawky sorts – trying to make it among the buff bods.

But though we’re sure The Hoff will be grasping for a cameo, we just want Erika Eleniak back on our screens.

[Source: Variety ]

Do you want Baywatch back? Tell us!

Freelance Journalist

James White is a freelance journalist who has been covering film and TV for over two decades. In that time, James has written for a wide variety of publications including Total Film and SFX. He has also worked for BAFTA and on ODEON's in-cinema magazine.