mattdaddy44 t1_j2a5e40 wrote on December 30, 2022 at 7:23 PM

Sex was selling the show, why try to reinvent the wheel? They already were making money hand over fist

page0rz OP t1_j2agdmt wrote on December 30, 2022 at 8:35 PM

If they were making money, why was it so cheap? If they didn't care, why were they trying to get awards? Hasselhoff was one of the producers and apparently he hated the sex angle and that the show was seen as garbage

mattdaddy44 t1_j2ah7ou wrote on December 30, 2022 at 8:40 PM

The show was garbage but enough males (adult & teens were) & Hasslehoff fans made it a cult classic. If I'm doing well without making the money, why start spending? No one went to Baywatch for its gripping dialogue

billythepub t1_j2avzz2 wrote on December 30, 2022 at 10:17 PM

I was around 5 when the show became a hit in 90 and it was watched by all kids my age too. We were too young to get the sex appeal of the show but I watched it religiously until I was 11 and its appeal was the music, the dramatic storylines and the coolness of it. Not everybody watched it for the flesh.

It was great escapism too as Ireland is dull and grey whilst baywatch was the exact opposite akin to the popular Australian soap opera home and away that was also very popular back then. Both were sunshine,blue skies and beautiful beaches with beautiful young actors. Everything about it was so different to what Ireland and the UK offered and watching the lifeguards in sunny california had a fantasy element to it.

I am in Ireland and there was only a handful of channels here at the time so we had limited options and it was broadcast on prime time hours so naturally everybody watched it. Generally back in the 90s everybody watched the same stuff on tv because generally there was a lack of option. It was much easier therefore for shows to become big hits. Baywatch was the most watched show ever back then. I recall seeing it on the records books saying it was the most watched show in the world.

page0rz OP t1_j2axumj wrote on December 30, 2022 at 10:30 PM

>No one went to Baywatch for its gripping dialogue

While that's true, Hasselhoff was both one of the producers of the show and someone who wanted to be taken seriously. That's one of the reasons they spun off Baywatch Nights (which they still cheaped out on) and kept doing serious dramatic episodes. I can still understand Hoff being coked out of his mind and taking in millions for a decade and so not caring, but what about everyone else involved? How are you on the most popular show in history and getting paid industry minimum to act out unfinished scripts without sets and not say anything?

mattdaddy44 t1_j2b05pr wrote on December 30, 2022 at 10:46 PM

U have good points. I guess since I'm a pro wrestling fan I'm used to unfinished scripts & half assed productions

billythepub t1_j2aythq wrote on December 30, 2022 at 10:37 PM

If they were making money, why was it so cheap?

Probably because the actors were all unknowns and wouldn't have been able to demand high salaries. Plus the show had quite a revolving cast,apart from Hasselhoff the vast majority of the big actors in it only stayed a few years and were likely signed on to cheap contracts for their duration. It's only when actors stay long in shows can they negotiate bigger salaries.

That and baywatch was on at a time when tv shows could be run on the cheap despite their popularity. Friends in the later seasons in the early 2000s was really the 1st time tv actors got mega salaries which started the trend. Back then the huge salaries and budgets were more reserved for film.

I recall Jason priestly from bh90210 saying the actors from that got pretty moderate salaries despite the huge popularity of the show and he said the actors of friends caused waves in the industry when it was announced they were to get a million per episode. Cheers finished in 93 and was one of the top shows in the world at the time and Ted danson was on 450k an episode which was seen as a massive tv salary for the 90s but he was on his 11th year as the lead in the show.

grunkage t1_j2b80sq wrote on December 30, 2022 at 11:40 PM

I don't think big budget TV was really a thing at that point, to be honest. If you started making money hand over fist with a show, you would just keep cranking on the formula and buy a new house. There was no reinvestment into the show. Makes sense really - the market is fickle and if the show lost popularity the next year, the additional money would be lost.

pbecotte t1_j2bart5 wrote on December 30, 2022 at 11:59 PM

The people writing the checks were not the ones writing and directing the episodes. Even if Hoff was a producer, doesn't mean he was the final say on budgets and expenses.