Stan takes Baywatch into Australia

Australian streamer Stan has become the latest buyer of Fox and Fremantle’s rebooted drama Baywatch.

The show is heading to Stan alongside two other Fremantle distributed titles, Element Pictures’ romantic drama You Are Here starring Claire Foy and Matthew Macfadyen, and Red Planet Pictures’ thriller The Only Suspect starring Kevin McKidd.

Southern California-based lifeguard series Baywatch, which is a co-production by Fox Entertainment and Fremantle, comes 25 years after the original 11-season run ended in 2001, having launched the careers of stars such as David Hasselhoff, Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra and Jason Momoa.

The first season of the reboot runs to 12 episodes and tracks a new cast of lifeguards - still in red swimsuits - as they patrol local beaches and deliver daring rescues. It has already sold to buyers including Sky in the UK and Ireland.

Stephen Amell leads the reboot, with Jessica Belkin, Shay Mitchell, Hassie Harrison and Thaddeus LaGrone among cast. In recurring roles, David Chokachi reprises his original role as Cody Madison, while Livvy Dunne portrays Grace. Erika Eleniak will also reprise her original role as Shauni McClain as a guest star.

You Are Here, meanwhile, is an eight-part adaptation of David Nicholls’ novel that explores how two individuals not looking for love find a relationship during a long walk. The One Day author has written the eight-part adaptation, with Lenny Abrahamson (Normal People) directing.

Also heading to Oz is The Only Suspect, which unfolds across two timelines. Set in a leafy London suburb, the show explores how a devoted couple whose picture-perfect suburban life hides a devastating truth when a railway development uncovers a dead body.

Cailah Scobie, exec director of entertainment acquisitions at Stan parent Nine, described the trio of shows as “incredibly unique and reflect our commitment to delivering premium, high-calibre drama to Australian audiences.”

Paul Ridley, senior vice president of international distribution at Fremantle, added: “Stan has a strong track record of bringing premium international storytelling to Australian audiences, making them a natural home for these three series.

“Each is a very different series, brought to life by some of the brilliant producers across the Fremantle family, but all have something special that we believe will really resonate in Australia.”