David Hasselhoff was accustomed to saving beachgoers from rip tides and shark attacks as lifeguard Mitch Buchannon on Baywatch.
And now the star, 72, has claimed he single handedly saved the show from tanking after one season thanks to his performance on the Berlin Wall.
The beloved series first premiered in 1989 on NBC, but it was axed due to low ratings and high production costs.
However, after Hasselhoff proved popular in Germany with his hit track Looking for Freedom, the show started to enjoy success through syndication after the rights were purchased for just $10.
In fact, the song became one of the soundtracks to Germany’s 1989 revolution, eventually leading to the star belting it out to one million people on both sides of the Berlin wall during an iconic New Year’s Eve concert that year.
David Hasselhoff has revealed how his popularity in Germany resulted in Baywatch continuing after it was canceled after just one season
The hit show first premiered in 1989 on NBC but it was axed due to low ratings and high production costs – however, it was able to continue thanks to financing from syndication
Read More
Baywatch star reveals secret 'technique' to make his package look camera-ready in tight briefs
Reflecting on the impact of his success in the new Hulu docuseries, After Baywatch: A Moment in the Sun, Hasselhoff said: ‘Without my performance on the Berlin wall, without Looking For Freedom, there would be no Baywatch’.
During the first episode of the ABC News documentary series, it was revealed that Hasselhoff went back to touring his music in Europe when Baywatch got canceled by production studio GTG.
Distribution company Freemantle noticed that the show was being well received in countries like Germany and convinced GTG to sell the show for $10, in exchange for a percentage of royalties on profits made through syndication.
‘I got a call from one of the producers that said, “We think we do the show with the foreign financing but we have to do it with you”,’ Hasselhoff recalled.
Looking For Freedom became a number one single amid the revolution in Germany, and Hasselhoff found himself faced with an unexpected offer.
‘The phone rang and they said, “Would you like to sing on the Berlin wall?” And I said it’ll never happen,’ he recalled. ‘But they got two Prime ministers to agree to it and called me back.
‘So I performed in 1989, the first American to perform on the free Berlin wall.’
Co-star Nicole Eggert – who played Roberta ‘Summer’ Quinn – added: ‘The Berlin wall came down and it was a really big deal and David H was like the face of it almost.’
At the time, Hasselhoff won the hearts of many Germans with his hit track Looking for Freedom – which he went on to perform on the Berlin Wall on New Year’s Eve 1989
In the new docuseries, After Baywatch: A Moment in the Sun, Hasselhoff claimed: ‘Without my performance on the Berlin wall, without Looking For Freedom, there would be no Baywatch’
Fellow Baywatch star Billy Warlock – who played Eddie – said: ‘The Hoff branded it in all of Europe.’
With his fresh wave of influence, Hasselhoff took the opportunity to get Baywatch the financing that it needed.
He said: ‘I called the distributors in Germany and they asked if I had more Knight Rider. I said, “No but I have a new show called Baywatch”.
‘They said, “Is there a car? I said no. They said, “But you’re in it? Okay we buy it”. So then we had a big chunk of money.’
Co-star Parker Stevenson – who played Craig Pomeroy – said: ‘David was the one that really popped up in the show. He was the one who was in the center, the anchor for the show the whole time.’
Documentary director Matthew Felker added: ‘He embodied the American dream. I have friends from Germany who literally moved to California because of Baywatch, because of David Hasselhoff and they will tell you that.’
Baywatch eventually became the most-watched television series in the world, with a weekly audience of over 1.1 billion viewers.
The Berlin Wall struck fear in the hearts of many Germans over almost three decades.
Construction of the wall by the German Democratic Republic began in August 1961.
Once completed, it completely cut off West Berlin from the surrounding East Germany and East Berlin.
According to the the Eastern Bloc the wall was built to protect the population from fascist who wanted to prevent the ‘will of the people.’
However, in truth, the wall’s purpose was to prevent the massive emigration and defection which marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc following the Second World War.
Between 1961 and 1989, around 5,000 people attempted to escape over the wall, with an estimated death toll of over 600.
Following a series of political changes in the Eastern Bloc in 1989 the East German government announced on November 9 that all its citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin.
Huge crowds of people crossed and climbed on the wall in scenes which were previously unthinkable and were broadcast by television crews around the world.
By 1990, the wall itself was mainly destroyed. However, parts of it still remain in the city today.
Hasselhoff campaigned to preserve one of the last sections back in 2013.
Baywatch eventually became the most-watched television series in the world, with a weekly audience of over 1.1 billion viewers
After Baywatch: Moment In The Sun is a four-part project giving fans ‘a nostalgic and insightful exploration of Baywatch, the cultural phenomenon that defined an era, and an unprecedented look into the stars who brought the world’s most famous lifeguards to life.
Produced and directed by Matthew Felker, the docuseries features exclusive interviews with over 35 cast members and the show’s creators, including Nicole Eggert, Carmen Electra, Billy Warlock, Alexandra Paul, Gregory Alan Williams, David Chokachi, Jeremy Jackson and Erika Eleniak.
The series also unveils a never-aired interview with Pamela Anderson and over a decade’s worth of never-before-seen home videos shot by the cast themselves to help offer viewers a unique glimpse into the real dynamics, struggles, friendships and moments that happened off-camera.
After Baywatch: Moment In The Sun is on Hulu