New TV Show ‘Rescue: HI Surf’ to Dramatize North Shore Lifeguards

Back in the eighties and nineties, a little show called Baywatch brought the world of ocean lifesaving to the small screen, albeit highly dramatized.

The show depicted a fictional team of Los Angeles lifeguards as they rescued swimmers, fended off sharks, navigated romance, discovered undersea treasure, and of course, ran along the beach in super slow-motion and super skimpy swimsuits.

Now, a new show is coming to pick up where Baywatch left off. Well..sorta.

Rescue: HI Surf, a 12-episode drama coming to Fox some time this fall, will depict a fictionalized cast of North Shore, Oahu lifeguards as they save lives on the most famed and feared stretch of surfing coastline in the world.

Per the official description of the show:

“The action drama follows the personal and professional lives of the heavy-water lifeguards who patrol and protect the North Shore of O’ahu—the most famous and dangerous stretch of coastline in the world. Each episode will feature these dedicated, heroic, and adrenaline-seeking first-responders saving lives in the difficult and often life-threatening conditions of Hawaii’s Seven Mile Miracle.”

And according to a new report from Deadline, the show has cast its main characters, and the descriptions of those characters have been released, too.

Here’s just a couple of ‘em:

“[Robbie] Magasiva will play Harlan ‘Sonny”’Jennings, a surfer, waterman, and North Shore lifeguard captain with deep ties to his community and an iron clad commitment to his team of heavy water first responders. A charismatic leader who inspires courage and loyalty, Sonny’s grief over his nephew’s death threatens to cost him the job and team he loves.

“[Arielle] Kebbel is Emily ‘Em’ Wright. In a lifeguard force that is 90% male, Em Wright is still the best. A true maverick, Em is the first female lieutenant in Ocean Safety history, an accomplished surfer and record setting paddler who has her sights set on the captain’s job, a position currently held by Sonny, her struggling mentor and friend.

“[Adam] Demos will portray Will Ready. An Aussie surfer and certified lifesaver since his nipper days at the local board riders club, Will came to the North Shore to challenge himself and stayed. Good-natured and loyal, Will’s blue-collar work ethic and incomparable fitness means he’s game to tackle any situation the ocean throws at him.”

Of course, the North Shore Lifeguards are the best in the world at what they do. Countless lives have been saved by them. Let’s hope the show does them justice.

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