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‘Baywatch’ owners
say plea for
$2.5 million
‘inappropriate’
The show's executive producer
By Tim Ryan
had said state assistance was
needed to keep it on the air
Star-Bulletin"Baywatch Hawaii" was never in jeopardy of shutting down before a second season if it didn't receive millions of dollars in state financial aid, the show's owners said.
Furthermore, comments about the show's pending death made this week by executive producer and "Baywatch" creator Greg Bonann were "inappropriate and ill-timed," said Frank Pantini, vice president of creative services for Pearson Television.
Bonann told reporters and state legislators that "Baywatch Hawaii" needed about $2.5 million or the hourlong lifeguard drama would shut down March 15.
But Pearson executives late yesterday issued a terse statement that the show would return, praising Hawaii and endorsing Bonann for his "passion" for wanting to film here.
" 'Baywatch' is coming back to Hawaii whether it gets financial aid or not," Pantini said. "Pearson has a business relationship with Hawaii, and the company is discussing with the state some additional help with our budget.
"But Greg went a little bit overboard (in) making several overstatements (which were) unfortunate and not entirely correct."
The show faces about a $7 million deficit next season because revenues from overseas distribution are off considerably, Pearson executives have said. The company is willing to take on about $4.5 million of the deficit, but Bonann said he was told to find the remaining $2.5 million.
With the show's pickup date about a month away, certain conditions had to be met but were not: having an average domestic rating point of 3.2 (it was 3.1) and finding a buyer for overseas broadcasting (it did not). These problems created what Bonann called "overwhelming budget constraints" for the show to continue.
The Jan. 24 "Baywatch Hawaii" hit a national rating of 3.3, tying with the top cable show, "Xena," and beating "Final Conflict" and "Beastmaster."
In a telephone interview from New York, Pantini declined to discuss specific amounts but said "Baywatch" is "a big show with a big budget, so there are always financial concerns."
In a curious phrase, the Pearson statement also said the company "as of (yesterday) has dropped all considerations of any other locations."
Did Pearson consider moving the show out of Hawaii after one season? Bonann declined comment, and Pearson executives in Los Angeles were not immediately available for comment.
Bonann also declined to comment on Pantini's statements that he exaggerated the show's financial situation and additional problems. Bonann said he went public with the show's problems because "I believed the community would stand behind us and help."
It may have been national publicity about the current "Baywatch" situation and the early passing of House Bill 2959 -- which provides state financial assistance to film and television productions -- that convinced Pearson to bite a bigger budget bullet for a second season.
"I told Pearson that there's a good chance the state will help with some money," Bonann said.
"'Baywatch' is going nowhere but on the air," Pantini said. "The show will survive and thrive in Hawaii."
Filming will begin June 5.
