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A sad aloha
to ‘Baywatch’

The TV series involved
many Hawaii residents
over its 2-year run

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By Cynthia Oi
Star-Bulletin

Residents who have worked on "Baywatch Hawaii" are disappointed about the television series' bid of aloha to the islands.

"Baywatch" owners Pearson Television yesterday announced the series, which has been filmed in Hawaii for two years, will not be renewed.

"The economics associated with bringing the program back could not be justified," Pearson president and CEO Brian Harris said in a news release.

Each episode cost more than $1 million to film, said Pearson's Syd Vinnedge. With about 300 hours of "Baywatch" already in the can, Pearson felt it did not need more new episodes, he said.

Musical supervisor Glenn Medeiros, who has been recording island artists to provide soundtracks for the series, said he was "very sad" about the cancellation. He saw the series as a "great"

opportunity to showcase Hawaii's musicians.

"It's too bad because it was a big way to link Hawaii with the rest of the world," he said. "So many local people stood to benefit from 'Baywatch.' "

More than 20 of the episodes featured such island musicians as Keali'i Reichel, Amy Gilliom and Fiji, Medeiros said, and he is glad to have had the chance to be a part of that many.

He is going ahead with plans to compile a CD of the music from the show. "We're not giving that up yet," he said.

Tom Smyth, administrator of the division of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism that oversees the Hawaii Film Office, said the decision to cancel was expected, but he is grateful the syndicated show was filmed here for two years.

"The episodes in the can now will still benefit Hawaii. The tourist-attraction value will be sustained" as "Baywatch" is aired around the world in repeats, Smyth said.

The production also helped to raise the quality of the island film industry work force by exposing them to "senior" employees, he said.

Other benefits include the underwater tank built at the state's Diamond Head studios and the "Baywatch" facility at Haleiwa, both of which can now be used for other film production, he said.

The show's presence also helped raise the state's film industry revenue for 2000. He estimates that figure will be close to $125 million, which would be a record.

"Baywatch" will be missed, he said. "A series provides stability in Hawaii's industry. But he said the fact that "Baywatch" filmed here will show other producers that the state has quality workers and is a good place to do business.

Charles Memminger, the Star-Bulletin columnist who was hired as a writer for the program, was disappointed by the cancellation. But he, too, was glad to have worked on the production.

"For a local writer and my first time writing for a TV show, it was an incredible job," Memminger said.

He said people he encountered in stores and supermarkets were happy that an islander was writing for "Baywatch."

"People responded to that. They were excited," he said.

He and the show's other writers had written about 12 new scripts for "Baywatch" that won't be filmed. "They would have blown people away."

But Memminger said he understands that this is how things work in the industry.

"It's business, show business," he said.

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