I spoke to the Hoff earlier this week for our podcast, chatting about Knight Rider, why it was a hit etc.
Check it out:
http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/leisure/leisure/8736702.PODCAST_Exclusive__David_Hasselhoff_talks_Knight_Rider/
Great interview! But seriously, BAYWATCH was such a waste of time. 11 freakin' years?!! How the hell did it stay on the air for so long? I guess it was the boobs that kept it afloat (pun intended).
No wonder no one wants to talk to David about that show. It's all about KITT and KNIGHT RIDER.
Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!
To answer your question ringfire, never forget that Baywatch was a huge sensation back in the 90s. It was the most highly rated show on television for a number of years. It was so big they even made that terrible spin-off Baywatch Nights... So yeah, even though Knight Rider was a much better show, Baywatch was an absolute ratings/money making juggernaut compared it.
Now of course I'm sure the Playboy Playmates running around the beach in tight red swimsuits played a large part in it's popularity as well. Gotta love that so many Americans seem to be "disgusted" by sex, yet we're simultaneously obsessed with it and it seems to sell better than anything else. The porn industry is a BILLION dollar business for a reason. Gotta love us idiotic, hypocritical Americans...