Rescue: Hi-Surf has been praised for its authenticity, and that’s mostly thanks to its creator. Photo: RHS
Rescue Hi-Surf is no more. As Deadline reports, the series about North Shore lifeguards will not be renewed for a second season by Fox.
Compared to their first responder brethren, lifeguards are much less well represented on screen. Rescue Hi-Surf hoped to change that, focusing on the professional and personal lives of heavy water lifeguards on Oahu’s North Shore. The Fox series seemed off to a solid start, premiering in a Sunday time slot with an NFL lead-in and earning solid ratings out of the gate.
However, while the series was by no means a flop, its performance failed to impress. Though it had originally been slated to fill a coveted post-Super Bowl time slot, Fox opted to boot it in favor of the season three premiere of The Floor. In the end, RH-S managed to draw respectable, but modest viewership, ending with 1.4 million live + same day viewers for the finale, which aired on March 31. Though the involvement of ER, The West Wing, Maid and The Pitt producer John Wells meant the show was still strongly considered for renewal, it was ultimately not enough to sway the network.
However, there may be hope for Rescue Hi-Surf fans looking to fill the lifeguard-shaped hole in their hearts. A reboot of Baywatch is currently in the works at Fox. Though the series has not been greenlit yet, Deadline reports that the odds are looking good.
