Fox made a shocking decision to cancel its replacement series for 911 despite its early season promise. In May 2023, Fox opted not to renew 911 after six seasons despite the fact that it is the network's highest scripted series.
911's cancellation on Fox paved the way for ABC to pick up the first responder drama series for Season 7, joining the network's TV lineup for the 2023-2024 TV season and beyond.
As a way to move forward with 911's departure from the network, Fox introduced Rescue HI-Surf in 2024. It is a Hawaiian lifeguard drama in the same vein as its predecessor, but it didn't last long.
It's now been confirmed that Fox cancelled Rescue HI-Surf after its debut season run on the network. Rescue HI-Surf was essentially designed to cater to an audience similar to that of 911. It even aired in a Monday timeslot on the network, just like 911 did from Seasons 2 to 6.
The outlet also stated that Warner Bros. (its producing studio) has no plans to sell the series to other networks, giving it a grim chance of ever returning to the small screen.
It's unfortunate that Rescue HI-Surf's cancellation came after diehard fans expressed strong online support for the network's renewal of the series.
Similar to 911, Rescue HI-Surf follows the personal and professional lives of first responders (in this case, lifeguards) who protect the North Shore of O'ahu in Hawaii.
Created by Matt Kester, the series stars Adam Demos, Arielle Kebel, Robbie Magasiva, Kekoa Kekumano, Alex Aiono, and Zoe Cipres. Season 1 had 19 episodes, and the cancellation occurred a month after its Season 1 finale on March 31, 2025.
What Rescue HI-Surf’s Cancellation Means for Fox
While Fox initially had confidence in its 911 replacement series following strong viewership numbers from its premiere (it debuted to 4.7 million live+same day viewers according to Deadline), reports stated that Rescue HI-Surf's cancellation may have been due to several factors, such as its dwindling numbers, no well-known cast members, and its expensive cost due to it being set in Hawaii.
Although Rescue HI-Surf was under the umbrella of John Wells Production (the same producer of hit shows like ER and The Pitt - a series already renewed for Season 2 on Max), it was still not enough of a consideration for it to be renewed for the 2025-2026 TV season.
In the same report, the outlet believed that Fox's upcoming Baywatch reboot may have been the cause of the Hawaiian drama series' cancellation on Fox. While it has not been greenlit yet, Deadline also reported that Fox has already closed on a script+penalty deal for the said reboot.
After the show's cancellation, Fox could either look for a new 911 replacement series to fill the gap left by Rescue HI-Surf or the Baywatch reboot could take over.
