It has been announced that production of the international hit TV series Baywatchwill be moving to Hawaii for episodes airing next fall. Production will begin in June of this year with principal outdoor filming being done at the Haleiwa Alii Beach Park on the North Shore of Oahu.
Despite some slippage in the ratings in the U.S. markets, Baywatch remains the number one syndicated television show in the world. The nine-year old show has an audience of one billion viewers in 148 countries world-wide. It is translated into 41 languages.
The deal is for at least two years to film a guaranteed 44 episodes -- 22 each season -- costing about $38.2 million, or $870,000 an episode of which 60 percent is expected to be spent in Hawaii. This is expected to be a major coup for Hawaii and a boost to the State's economy. It is also expected to serve as a major tourist draw. The advertising value of U.S exposure for Hawaii is estimated at $29 million a year or more. A condition of the deal is that the name "Hawaii" will appear in the show's name. It is hoped that many of the millions of world-wide viewers of the show will be lured into vacationing in Hawaii.
This deal follows a period where deals to move the show to Australia seemed imminent and another where the move to Hawaii was in jeopardy. However, once economic concessions were made by the State of Hawaii and the local unions involved, the show elected to keep production in the United States, where the stars would be more accessible for public relations events. As recently as the last week in March it appeared that the Hawaii deal would not be finalized due to a breakoff in negotiations with the Teamsters union.
None of this has pleased the government of Queensland, Australia, which believed that they had a handshake agreement for the show to relocate to the Gold Coast of Australia and film at least 22 episodes of the series. Baywatch producers had hoped to take the U.S. show to the tiny Sydney beachside suburb of Avalon after filming two episodes there last year. But angry Avalon residents objected to Baywatch taking over their beach. It was at this point that the Queensland government entered the picture with their offer.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard was highly critical of his own countrymen, saying that the initial rejection by Sydney to serve as home to Baywatch was a metaphor for why the United States had a better employment record than Australia. Not to be left out, however, opposition leader Rob Borbidge describes the Government's handling of the Baywatch negotiations as "amateur hour". There was even talk of a lawsuit being filed.
Queensland then offered $2 million in incentives for Baywatch to relocate to Currumbin Beach, compared with Hawaii's offer of $14.5 million for one year and $42 million for six years. Queensland State Tourism Minister Bob Gibbs feels the producers simply used the negotiations with his government to squeeze concessions out of Hawaii. Queensland Tourist and Travel Corporation chairman Terry Jackman was totally baffled by the way that events unfolded.
