"Baywatch Hawaii"
David Hasselhoff plays a scene with a young
patient at Wahiawa General Hospital.

‘Baywatch’ embraces Hawaii

Baywatch Hawaii: Premieres 5 p.m. tomorrow, KHON/Fox

By Tim Ryan
Star-Bulletin

If the first episode of "Baywatch Hawaii" is any indication of what's coming in the hourlong lifeguard drama, not only will the series set new production standards for shows filming here, but it will demonstrate local residents with little acting experience can make the grade if given the chance.

Another offshoot will be boosting the pride of Hawaii's lifeguard community just as "Baywatch" did for Los Angeles County lifeguards.

The scenery in "Aloha Hawaii" is spectacular, the music exciting, and, yes, the bodies heavenly.

Hawaii is treated as a special place with a unique culture and customs. When pidgin is spoken -- and that's rare -- local cast members do it realistically in normal conversation.

Here's the story: Southern California lifeguard captain Mitch Buchannon (David Hasselhoff) comes to Hawaii in "a personal search for something I've lost." While the lifeguard ponders his life on a windy, surf-pounded Waimanalo beach, he sees two children suddenly caught in waves then pulled underwater.

Naturally he saves the kids -- well sorta -- and the parents too. (Mom is played by former KGMB news reporter Sandra Sagisi, dad is veteran local actor Ben Wong, and the 11-year-old girl is Janel Parrish of "Les Miserables" fame.

But Hasselhoff blames himself for a less-than-perfect rescue, telling local actor Vince Klein, who plays Hawaii lifeguard Rock Keaweamahi, that he's losing his edge and doesn't understand local conditions.

Hasselhoff eventually tells Klein that he wants to create a top gun lifeguard school here because the conditions are so dangerous.

So Mitch invites the best of the best. From California there's Michael Bergin as J.D. Darius and Brooke Burn as Jessie Owens; Simone Mackinnon plays Allie Reese from Australia; from Texas, Jason Momoa as "just Jason."

Hasselhoff also picks Kauai lifeguard Sean Monroe -- played by Jason Brooks -- as team leader. Added to the mix are Kala'i Miller as Robert and Stacy Kamamoto as Kekoa Tanaka.

Once the group is assembled on Oahu -- most of the filming here is at Sandy Beach, Makapuu and Waikiki -- the writers are quick to establish conflicts:

Bergin and Burns already are romantically involved, but after Bergin walks in on a half-naked Kamamoto, he has trouble concentrating;

Bergin and Momoa, who sports a cowboy hat, have a spat upon arrival at Honolulu Airport; Miller and Momoa have words at Sandy Beach when Momoa thinks hapa haole is a slur.

Major sponsors of the show should be happy. A giant, glimmering Hawaiian Airlines jet fills the screen for a few seconds; a Dollar Rent-a-Car agent repeats her company's name several times; and Hasselhoff drinks a juice with a crisp Hilton Hawaiian Village sign just behind him.

The women's red swimsuits are gone, replaced by yellow and an occasional black one. Episodes on Maui seem to be in the works as Bergin's character talks about it being a honeymoon capital and location of the world's most challenging triathlon. Huh?

Best of all, "Baywatch Hawaii" treats the state with realism. When Monroe tells his team that on the North Shore "people die, lifeguards die" you believe it.

And when Hasselhoff says no one has ever said they would guard his soul, like the Parrish character's family promises, Klein answers simply "Welcome to Hawaii."

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