Gregory J. Bonann (born June 28, 1952) is an American lifeguard, television producer, director, writer, and showrunner. He is best known for co-creating the internationally syndicated television series, Baywatch, which ran for eleven seasons (242 episodes), and was listed in the 2001 Guinness Book of World Records as the most widely viewed TV series in the world.[1] His later work includes the syndicated action drama, SAF3, and A Chance For Children, a charitable foundation that benefits homeless and at-risk youth.
As a child, Bonann suffered from severe asthma and allergies.[3] He was born with club feet and severe visual impairment, and was close to death twice before the age of two.[2]
Bonann attended Palisades High School from 1967 through 1970,[4] and since his allergies ruled out any outdoor sports, he joined the swim team.[5] Contact lenses corrected his vision, but swimming with them proved difficult, so Bonann needed special visual aids to see the walls of the pool. He ultimately specialized in the backstroke so that he could use the overhead flags to better gauge his turns. He was voted most-improved swimmer in his second year, but he didn't win a competitive race until two years later.[4] In his senior year, Bonann was voted most-valuable.[2]
In 1970,[4] Bonann began his lifeguard career as an LA City Ocean Lifeguard. After the completion of rookie academy, he was given his choice of post, and served in lifeguard tower #18 on Will Rogers State Beach,[5] a short distance from his family home in West Los Angeles.
Lifeguard Gregory J. Bonann working on Will Rogers State Beach in 1989. Photo by Kim Carlsberg.
In the summer of 1977, while working Will Rogers State Beach, Bonann performed a routine rescue of some children who were caught in a riptide. The children's father was Stu Erwin, Jr.,[4] who worked for MTM Enterprises, a television production company run by Grant Tinker, the future chairman and CEO of NBC. Bonann would go on to pitch his idea for a television show about lifeguards to Erwin and Tinker, who eventually helped him sell the show to NBC.[5]
In 1989, while scouting locations in Venice Beach, California with the Baywatch producers and writing staff, Bonann was approached by a teenager who had lost his friend in the water. Bonann swam out and made three surface dives before finding the boy, who had been submerged for several minutes, and revived him using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while treading water. The boy was taken to UCLA Medical Center where he recovered.[7] Bonann received the Medal of Valor from Los Angeles County for performing that rescue.[2][4][8]
Bonann transferred to the Northern Section of Los Angeles County in 2013, including Malibu and Zuma beaches,.[6] He has been a Junior Lifeguard Instructor at Zuma Beach for nine years. In 2023 he began his 54th year on active status as a Los Angeles County Lifeguard.
Bonann has been recognized by both the Belgian Life Saving Federation, and the International Life Saving Federation[9] for his dedication to the field, and in 2000 he was awarded the Gold Medallion from the International Swimming Hall of Fame[4][10] for his achievements and contributions.
In 2021 the Professional Lifeguard Foundation honored Bonann with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his 52 years of service and dedication in fostering the professional and personal growth of the Los Angeles County Lifeguards through teaching and mentoring relationships.
Early film career
Bonann began his career in film and television in 1978 when he was hired by John J. (Jack) Hennessy, of JJH Productions. Hennessy had been producing films for the U.S. Olympic Committee, and Bonann had connections to that world.[2]
When Hennessy died in 1983, Bonann continued to run JJH Productions, producing over twenty films, including two more official films for the USOC. Frozen in Time featured the 1984 Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, and Elements of Gold highlighted the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Both films were recognized with numerous awards including the CINE Golden Eagle.[2][11]
In 1987, Bonann formed his own production company called Tower 18 Productions, named for his original lifeguard tower on Will Rogers State Beach. The first project under his new banner was another documentary for the USOC called City of Gold about the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.[2][11]
All of Bonann's Olympic films used slow motion photography and music to accentuate the athlete's performances. This would become his signature style. In fact, many of the camera operators, production crew, and the editor that Bonann used for these early productions would form the core of the Baywatch production company.[2]
Baywatch
"My success was less about being a great filmmaker, and more about being a good businessman, surrounding myself with people who were talented in a variety of different areas."[12]
During the mid 1970s, Bonann imagined a television series that featured the heroic stories of his lifeguard friends.[2] After meeting Stu Erwin Jr. of Grant Tinker's MTM Enterprises in 1977, he pitched the idea, which at that time was called A.C.E.S., for Aquatic Corps for Emergency Service. Erwin declined, but he encouraged Bonann to continue to develop the concept.[2][5]
In 1981, while working at JJH Productions, Bonann began pitching the idea again. At his mother's suggestion, he renamed the show Baywatch, but he continued his attempts to sell the series with no success for the next six years.[2]
Bonann met the writing team of Douglas Schwartz and Michael Berk through his sister, Deborah, who was engaged to Schwartz. They agreed to help Bonann develop the project.[2] The three of them took Baywatch back to Stu Erwin, Jr., who was still working for Grant Tinker at his new production company, GTG Entertainment. In 1988, Tinker and Erwin added Baywatch to their projects in development.[2]
Due to the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike, GTG was unable to use a written script to pitch the show, so Tinker asked Bonann to produce a video sales presentation. Bonann used his documentary crew to shoot and edit footage of the March 1988 lifeguard tryouts, along with slow motion action shots of several of his lifeguard friends. On the strength of that presentation, Brandon Tartikoff purchased a two-hour movie pilot for NBC, after which Baywatch was picked up for series.[2]
After one season on NBC, Baywatch was canceled.[5] Tinker sold the rights to the program back to Bonann for ten dollars,[2] and along with Schwartz, Berk, and the show's lead actor, David Hasselhoff, Bonann launched the series in first-run syndication,[5] resulting in ten more seasons, including two in Hawaii, and even a short-lived spinoff series called Baywatch Nights.[2]
Bonann's relationship with the L.A. County Lifeguards allowed him to build a functioning interior and exterior set above the actual lifeguard headquarters on Will Rogers State Beach, where Bonann began his lifeguard career nearly twenty years earlier.[2]
Baywatch was seen in 145 countries and was translated into over 42 languages.[5] It was listed in the 2001 Guinness Book of World Records as the most widely viewed TV series in the world with a weekly audience of over 1.1billion.[1]
By its end, Bonann had executive produced 289 episodes of Baywatch, Baywatch Nights, and Baywatch Hawaii. He directed a total of 75 episodes and 400 of his signature music montages. From the beginning of the pilot movie in 1988 to the wrap of the final episode in 2001, Baywatch had dominated 14 years of Bonann's life.[13]
In 2002, NBC and MGM Television launched a new series called She Spies starring Natasha Henstridge. After four episodes, the production shut down due to budget overages and creative discord. The network and studio turned to Bonann to solve the problems, and production resumed. The series went on to complete two seasons and forty episodes.[14]
Bonann began filming SAF3 in Cape Town, South Africa in 2013, and twenty episodes were produced independently for first-run syndication. It became the first independently financed one-hour drama to air in the U.S. on prime time. To date the series has been sold in sixty-six countries.
Philanthropy
In 1992, Bonann and his wife, Collins, launched a non-profit organization called The Camp Baywatch Foundation[10] to benefit homeless and at-risk youth.[15]
When the Baywatch television series ended in 2001, the foundation name was changed to "A Chance For Children Foundation".[4]
NBC's The Today show honored Bonann in 2009 by choosing A Chance For Children as one of their charities of the year.[18]
In 2013, while working on SAF3, Bonann and Collins established a new branch of A Chance for Children in Cape Town, South Africa. This international extension of the foundation focuses on the education of the children of the townships of Langa, Gugulethu, and Khayelitsha.[16]
Malibu is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, about 30 miles (48 km) west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate, its strip of beaches stretching 21 miles along the Pacific Ocean coast, and for its longtime status as the home of numerous affluent Hollywood celebrities and executives. Although a high proportion of its residents are entertainment industry figures with multi-million dollar mansions, Malibu also features several middle- and upper-middle-class neighborhoods. The Pacific Coast Highway traverses the city and has led most residents to settle anywhere from half a mile to within a few hundred yards of it, with some residents living up to one mile away from the beach in areas featuring narrow canyons. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 10,654.
Baywatch is an American drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonann, who produced the show throughout its 11-season run. The series focuses on both professional and personal challenges faced by the characters, portrayed by a large rotating ensemble cast that includes Pamela Anderson, Alexandra Paul, Gregory Alan Williams, Jeremy Jackson, Parker Stevenson, David Chokachi, Billy Warlock, Erika Eleniak, David Charvet, Yasmine Bleeth, and Nicole Eggert.
Son of the Beach is an American sitcom that aired from March 14, 2000, to October 1, 2002, on FX. The series is a spoof of Baywatch, with much of the comedy based on sexual double entendres, puns, innuendo and the like. A major running gag portrayed the handsome David Hasselhoff character as a balding, middle-aged, pot-bellied and out-of-shape man who is nonetheless seen by all the other characters as highly fit and attractive. Radio talk show host Howard Stern was one of the executive producers.
Brooke Elizabeth Burns is an American fashion model, game show host, actress, and television personality. Burns began her television career in 1995, portraying the supporting character Peg in the Spanish-American teen sitcom Out of the Blue (1995–1996), appearing in all episodes. Burns joined the cast of the action drama series Baywatch in 1998 and subsequently starred in Baywatch's second rendition, Baywatch: Hawaii, until she left the show owing to her first pregnancy. She appeared in 33 episodes.
David Stephen Rappaport was an English actor with achondroplasia. He appeared in the films Time Bandits and The Bride, and television series L.A. Law, The Wizard and Captain Planet and the Planeteers. He was 3' 11" in height.
Baywatch Nights is an American science-fiction mystery drama television series that aired in syndication from 1995 to 1997. Created by Douglas Schwartz, David Hasselhoff, and Gregory J. Bonann, the series is a spin-off from the television series, Baywatch.
Camps Bay is an affluent suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, and the small bay on the west coast of the Cape Peninsula after which it is named. In summer it attracts many South African and foreign visitors.
Tanquil "Tai" Lisa Collins is a model, actress, screenwriter, producer, philanthropist, and former Miss Virginia USA (1983).
The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) provides firefighting and emergency medical services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, California, as well as 59 cities through contracting, including the city of La Habra, which is located in Orange County and is the first city outside of Los Angeles County to contract with LACoFD.
Leo Carrillo State Park is a state park in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Situated along the Malibu coast, the park is a component of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. With 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of beach, the parkland stretches into the Santa Monica Mountains. The park has expanded into Ventura County and also includes management of County Line Beach. California State Route 1 runs through the park, where it intersects with the western terminus of the Mulholland Highway. The 2,513-acre (1,017 ha) park was established in 1953. It is named for actor and conservationist Leo Carrillo (1880–1961), who served on the State Parks commission.
Mitch Buchannon is a fictional character from the television series Baywatch. He was played by David Hasselhoff in every season of Baywatch and Baywatch Nights plus in the first season of Baywatch Hawaii. He also appeared in three films, Baywatch the Movie: Forbidden Paradise (1995), Baywatch: White Thunder at Glacier Bay (1998) and Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding (2003). Later, Dwayne Johnson portrayed a lifeguard also named Mitch Buchannon who is a protege of the original Mitch Buchannon in the 2017 film Baywatch.
Point Dume is a promontory on the coast of Malibu, California that juts out into the Pacific Ocean. The point, a long bluff, forms the northern end of the Santa Monica Bay. Point Dume Natural Area affords a vista of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Santa Catalina Island. Zuma Beach lies to its immediate northwest.
Zuma Beach is a county beach at 30000 Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Malibu, California. One of the largest and most popular beaches in Los Angeles County, California, it is known for its long, wide sands and excellent surf. It consistently ranks among the healthiest beaches for clean water conditions in Los Angeles County.
Craig B. Hummer is an American sportscaster. He is best known for his coverage of the Tour de France, Olympic Games, and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) events. Hummer is a former competitive ocean swimmer and lifeguard. He won 39 national championship titles, including seven years as International Ironman.
Will Rogers State Beach is a beach park on the Santa Monica Bay, at the Pacific coast of Southern California. Located in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, the beach is owned by the California Department of Parks and Recreation; it is managed and maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.
Los Angeles County Lifeguards is a division of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The lifeguard operations safeguard 31 miles (50 km) of beach and 72 miles (116 km) of coastline, from San Pedro in the south, to Malibu in the north. The Los Angeles County Lifeguards are the largest professional lifeguard service in the world, and as of 2021, employs 174 full-time lifeguards and 614 recurrent lifeguards.
Lifeguard towers are used at recreational beaches or public swimming pools to watch and swimmers in order to prevent drownings and other dangers. Lifeguards scan for trouble from the structures, which vary from beach bungalows by the ocean to poolside towers. Lifeguard towers are also used to spot sharks and other threats.
SAF3, also known by its working title Rescue 3, is a syndicated American action-drama television series following the daily challenges of the S(Sea), A(Air), and F(Fire) divisions of the Malibu Fire Department. This series consists of 20 episodes that originally ran during the 2013–14 season.
Robert "Bob" MacKenzie Burnside was an American lifeguard. He was appointed the first president of the Surf Life Saving Association of America in 1964, which later became known as the United States Lifesaving Association. In 1965, he was appointed president of the National Surf Life Saving Association. In 1967, he developed the revolutionary plastic “Burnside Rescue Can”, now a standard for lifeguards worldwide and iconic symbol of beach lifeguarding. He was a champion swimmer who introduced the Malibu balsa surfboard to Australia. He wrote the History of Junior Lifeguarding.
References
1 2 Footman, Tim; Young, Mark C., eds. (2001). Guinness World Records 2001. Bantam Books. ISBN978-0553583755.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bart, Peter (June 6, 2007). Boffo!: How I Learned to Love the Blockbuster and Fear the Bomb. USA: Miramax/Hyperion. pp.79–90. ISBN978-1401360283.
↑ Glickman, Elyse; Mullikin, Patrick (July 2012). "Changing of the Guard". Malibu Times Magazine. Malibu, California: Arnold York. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
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