'Baywatch' Star Parker Stevenson Discusses the Iconic TV Show's Positive Social Impact
An excerpt from RETRO ACTIVE TELEVISION: AN IN-DEPTH PERSPECTIVE ON CLASSIC TV'S SOCIAL CIRCUITRY by Herbie J Pilato (Headline Books)
[Note: This article is an edited excerpt from the book, Retro Active Television: An In-Depth Perspective of Classic TV's Social Circuitry by Herbie J Pilato. All commentary is from interviews conducted by the author with those mentioned.]
On the Bay Watch
A ratings failure during its initial season on NBC, Baywatch flourished for eight more seasons in first-run syndication. The show became an international phenomenon breaking ratings records and cultural barriers. In the fall of 2009, a report by National Public Radio placed Baywatch atop the list of most popular TV shows of all time, with some episodes viewed by more than 1 billion people of every heritage worldwide.
A Closer Look
With former Knight Rider star David Hasselhoff as its leading-life guard Mitch Buchannon, Baywatch featured the various visual charms of an attractive cast that alternated over the years. For example, in 1991, Pamela Anderson left her role as Lisa, the tool girl on Home Improvement, to play C.J. Parker the lifeguard on Baywatch. While the original NBC edition of the show was more family-oriented, all of its adaptations provided a measure of socially redeeming qualities. “Beyond its entertainment values,” Hasselhoff once said, “…Baywatch has enriched and, in many cases, helped save lives.”
Former Hardy Boys star Parker Stevenson played lifeguard Craig Pomeroy in the first season NBC version of Baywatch. He said the show contributed to water safety measures not only in California but across the country and the planet:
“Baywatch gave a worldwide television audience the chance to spend just a little bit of time on the sun-drenched beaches of Southern California and in the company of lots of friendly, fit, and attractive people dressed mostly in their bathing suits. What’s not to like about that? The globally successful eleven-year run of the show attests to the universal appeal of an attractive cast in an appealing environment with suspenseful action sequences. While the audience may not have remembered the specifics of each episode’s storyline, the dangers of rip currents, jellyfish stings, and shark attacks definitely were and David Hasselhoff’s heroic portrayal of Mitch Buchannon significantly raised the public profile of lifeguards worldwide.”
As to just how much power TV has in general, from both a positive and negative perspective, Stevenson said:
“My hope is that television at its least can be an escapist relief from the trials and challenges of life and at best an inspirational connection to ideas and dreams that might enhance our experiences of life. Intelligent storytelling can raise our awareness of the universality of our shared experiences and challenges. My own television viewing experiences have often not only been entertaining and relaxing but also enriching and intellectually stimulating experiences.”
As Stevenson went on to relay, “I also hope that today’s rapidly broadening entertainment outlets will provide new opportunities for the creative community and support and nurture their efforts to further raise the quality of future programming.”
The majority of gratitude that Stevenson has received over the years from viewers of various of his shows has been related to, as he said, “moments when they were sorely tested by illness, personal hardship, or emotional challenges.”
The viewers’ gratitude is a result of what Stevenson called “the comfort found watching shows during difficult times or for having been able to share a viewing experience with someone they loved and deeply cared about. The idea that in some way I have been of comfort to someone I don’t even know amazes me and is probably the only true legacy of real value from my years acting and appearing on television.”
The Big Picture
The charismatic appeal of stars like Parker Stevenson plays an important role in the success of a television show, as well as helping to expand whatever positive message that television show may or may not have. The more popular an actor, the better chance that Baywatch may share its positive message with a large measure of a mainstream audience.
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