Stephen Amell’s Baywatch Reboot Will Avoid The Mistake That Killed Suits LA

Suits LA may have missed the mark, but Stephen Amell’s upcoming project already seems like a step in the right direction. Following the massive streaming success of Suits in the early 2020s, creator Aaron Korsh began development on a California-based spinoff, which premiered on NBC in February 2025. Despite being one of the most highly-anticipated releases of the year, the series immediately fell flat for die-hard Suits fans and new viewers alike, immediately garnering poor reviews for Suits LA and a disappointing reputation that never recovered.

The talented ensemble cast led by Stephen Amell as Ted Black put up a valiant effort— and the NBC spinoff did find its footing by the end of its 13-episode run— but it proved to be too little, too late. Sadly, Suits LA‘s cancelation was confirmed before the finale even aired, cementing its legacy as a one-season wonder and the second failed spinoff in the Suits franchise (following Gina Torres’ 2019 political drama Pearson). Luckily, Stephen Amell’s role in the upcoming Baywatch reboot is unlikely to follow in Suits LA‘s unfortunate footsteps.

Suits’ Sudden Resurgence Set Suits LA Up For Failure

The Spinoff Was Trapped In A Lose-Lose Situation

There were a number of factors that contributed to Suits LA‘s cancelation, but frankly, the Suits spinoff was doomed from the start. Longtime fans of the flagship series anticipated a sequel to— or, at least, a loose continuation of— the original storyline, while newer viewers still had Gabriel Macht’s beguiling Harvey Specter at the forefront of their minds. As such, when entertainment lawyer Ted Black waltzed in claiming to be the best attorney in the country, many viewers found his swagger veering towards counterfeit rather than charismatic.

Had Suits‘ popularity not been at an all-time high, the vapid world of celebrity contract disputes and Hollywood homicide wouldn’t have felt so out of left field. Similarly, if fans hadn’t been begging for a Suits reboot for years on end, a unique spinoff could have been more warmly received as a new entry in the universe rather than a replacement for the original. At once, Suits LA was too creative and too derivative, too removed from Suits and too similar to it, too boring and too dramatic— all conclusions, of course, drawn from constant comparison to the original series.

Fox’s New Baywatch Will Benefit From Lower Expectations

Nobody Has Been Anxiously Waiting For Baywatch To Return

Comparatively, Fox’s upcoming Baywatch reboot may be able to evade all of Suits LA‘s biggest issues. If anything, the public opinion of the Baywatch franchise has been flagging in recent decades, with the 2017 film of the same name being brutally panned by critics. Furthermore, the original series has almost completely disappeared from the current pop culture zeitgeist. Baywatch doesn’t have a cult following like The Golden Girls, Twin Peaks, or Firefly; truthfully, younger generations likely haven’t seen the 1989 lifeguard drama at all.

As such, the 2026 Baywatch reboot is starting at the exact opposite end of the spectrum from Suits LA— for better and for worse. The original series isn’t trending worldwide, there are no avid fan campaigns for a revival or reunion, and prospective viewers possibly won’t have any frame of reference aside from the Zac Efron and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson film. Yet, while that obscurity may help the series, Fox’s Baywatch reboot is far from a safe bet.

The Baywatch Reboot Is Still A Major Risk

The Original Series Doesn’t Necessarily Need A Reboot

Although Suits LA ultimately suffered from the original show’s success, Suits‘ cultural capital also gave the spinoff a built-in audience. Since Baywatch has fallen out of vogue, the Fox reboot will have to work twice as hard to attract new viewers. The direction it takes to earn that attention, however, could make or break the series. The original run of Baywatch drew in over a billion viewers due to its campy, at times humorously melodramatic, plots. If the reboot takes itself too seriously, it will be dead in the water— with no slo-mo lifeguards around to save it.​​​​​​​

Plus, the casting is already causing a stir online due to its clear pandering towards younger demographics, which may alienate original Baywatch viewers. Cast members who got their start as internet celebrities, like Noah Beck and Livvy Dunne, will be thrust into the spotlight, and not every viewer will be able to buy-in to their roles. Even still, the show has potential. The best reboots can even surpass the original, ushering a stagnant franchise into a new golden age. Suits LA may not have made the mark, but the future is limitless for Stephen Amell and Fox’s Baywatch reboot.

Release Date

February 23, 2025

Writers

Aaron Korsh

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  Lex Scott Davis

  Erica Rollins