
FOX Orders "Rescue: Hi-Surf," New Franchise From Legendary Producer John Wells and Writer Matt Kester, Set to Debut in 2023-2024 Season
Warner Bros. Television Group
Set in Hawaii, Lifeguard Drama Comes from John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television and FOX Entertainment
FOX green lights the pulse-pounding Hawaii lifeguard drama Rescue: HI-Surf. The new John Wells Productions (JWP) action franchise, to be co-produced by Warner Bros. Television and FOX Entertainment, will premiere on FOX in 2023-2024.
From prolific, award-winning executive producer John Wells (Shameless, The West Wing, ER) and executive producer/writer Matt Kester (Animal Kingdom, Outsiders), Rescue: HI-Surf, is an action-packed drama that follows the personal and professional lives of the heavy-water lifeguards who patrol and protect the North Shore of Oahu-the most famous and dangerous stretch of coastline in the world. Each episode will feature these dedicated, heroic, and adrenaline-seeking first-responders saving lives in the difficult and often life-threatening conditions of Hawaiis Seven Mile Miracle. Kester will write the first episode, and Wells will direct the first two episodes.
Rescue: HI-Surf brings an edge-of-your-seat style to the North Shore of Hawaii, where lifeguards and surfers collide with visceral rescues, great character drama and all-around fun, said Michael Thorn, President of Scripted Programming, FOX Entertainment. This new franchise is pure beachfront property for FOX, especially with the powerful auspices of John, Matt and our incredible partners at Warner Bros.
Matt and I couldnt be happier to partner with FOX on this exciting opportunity to bring the best lifeguards in the world to the attention of television audiences, said Wells.
Ive lived on the North Shore of Oahu for most of my life, and these are our heroes, the most extraordinary extreme athletes anywhere, said Kester.
Warner Bros. Television has been riding a creative wave with John Wells for many years, and Rescue: HI-Surf is another thrilling project that will capture the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere, said Channing Dungey, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. Television Group. Were excited to partner with John, Matt Kester and FOX to tell the stories of heavy-water lifeguards in a way that has not been seen before. I cant wait for everyone to experience this thrilling new franchise.
Rescue: HI-Surf will be co-produced by Warner Bros. Television and FOX Entertainment. Matt Kester serves as showrunner and executive producer. John Wells will executive produce through John Wells Productions, and JWPs Erin Jontow also serves as an executive producer.
FOXs pick-up of Rescue: HI-Surf follows last weeks order of the all-new game show Snake Oil, hosted and produced by Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated comedian David Spade (SNL, Just Shoot Me) and executive-produced by Emmy nominee Will Arnett (LEGO Masters, Arrested Development), and the straight-to-series order of the medical procedural drama Doc, based on the globally acclaimed Italian series, Doc -- Nelle tue mani, which will be co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and FOX Entertainment. FOX recently renewed two of the networks hit dramas, Accused and Alert: Missing Persons Unit, both of which are co-productions of Sony Pictures Television and FOX Entertainment. The hit drama The Cleaning Lady, a Warner Bros. Television and FOX Entertainment co-production, was recently renewed for a third season. FOX-owned animated series Krapopolis from Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty, Community) and Grimsburg with Jon Hamm (Mad Men, Top Gun: Maverick) will also debut next season. Additional new and returning series will be announced soon.
About John Wells Productions
John Wells Productions (JWP) is the production company of writer, producer, and director John Wells. Most recently, Wells executive produced and directed the Emmy-nominated Maid for Netflix; Showtimes Emmy-nominated Shameless; and the TNT drama series Animal Kingdom. Past television projects include NBCs hit series ER, The West Wing and Third Watch; the critically acclaimed Southland for TNT; the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning Mildred Pierce for HBO; and the Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated China Beach.
In addition to Rescue: HI-Surf, JWPs current slate of television projects includes the upcoming series Emperor of Ocean Park, a new drama for MGM+ with Sherman Payne writing and Damian Marcano directing, based on Stephen L. Carters best-selling novel; The Accident, with Wells writing and directing; the psychological thriller series Doll, with renowned theatre and opera director Ivo van Hove; and an adaptation of the critically acclaimed suspense thriller Notes on an Execution, by Danya Kukafka, with Kate Fodor writing.
The company currently has an overall deal with Warner Bros. Television.
Films produced by Wells include The Company Men, which was his feature directorial debut; Todd Haynes Far from Heaven and Im Not There; Mark Romaneks One Hour Photo; Todd Graffs Camp; Fenton Baileys Party Monster; Robert Altmans The Company; John Waters A Dirty Shame; Mary Harrons The Notorious Bettie Page; Phyllis Nagys Mrs. Harris; Tom Kalins Savage Grace; Douglas McGraths Infamous; Jordan Scotts Cracks; Andrew Neels Goat; Burnt, which he also directed; Bill Pohlads Love & Mercy; Carroll Ballards Duma; Peter Kominskys White Oleander; Neil Jordans The Good Thief; Andrzej Bartkowiaks Doom; Tony Giglios Doom: Annihilation; Michael Mayers A Home at the End of the World; and Oscar-nominated August: Osage County, which Wells also directed, based on Tracy Letts Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name.
About Warner Bros. Television
One of the entertainment industrys most-respected providers of original programming since its founding in 1955, Warner Bros. Television delivers scripted dramas, comedies, limited series, and origi
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
30/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/07/2026
At IBC2026, GlobalM will showcase the latest evolution of its software-defined media platform, enabling broadcasters, telecom operators and media organisations ...
30/07/2026
At the 2026 TAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will highlight and demo the new DAS-Link AIR, an over-the-air common alert protocol (CAP) dissemination system for ...
30/07/2026
OpenDrives Named to the 2026 CRN Storage 100 List
Company Recognized Among the 50 Coolest Software-Defined Storage Vendors for Unlimited Capacity, S3 Hybrid M...
30/07/2026
New Scene Search capability in VIDA Content OS makes video content itself searchable, letting broadcasters and streamers find key moments across millions of ass...
29/07/2026
In this series, Grass Valley explores the seven paradoxes shaping the next era o...
29/07/2026
Thats a wrap on Season 1 of SVG Students to Watch! Across the country, these stu...
29/07/2026
The agreement will move Gotham Sports App subscribers to DAZN during the 2026-27...
29/07/2026
Longtime digital-media leader expands role overseeing conference branding, video...
29/07/2026
By Bailey Pennick
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. ...
29/07/2026
Organisation team up with TI:ME USA
Founded in 2019 with the aim of helping educators to embrace new music technology, Technology in Music Education (TiME U...
29/07/2026
Doubling & chorus processor gets an overhaul
Acon Digital have just launched the latest version of their free voice-doubling and chorus plug-in. Multiply 2 ...
29/07/2026
New Pultec-inspired pedal revealed
The latest addition to the Origin Effects line-up brings the legendary Pultec EQ into pedal format. Based on the EQP-1A, ...
29/07/2026
SBS Appoints Chief Commercial Officer and Director of Marketing and Audiences
29 July, 2026
Media releases
SBS is pleased to announce the appointment of Ni...
29/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz showcases unified next-generation broadcasting ecosystem at SET ...
29/07/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
29/07/2026
Streaming Hits 48.6% of Total TV Usage in May
YouTube Leads in Media Distributo...
29/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/07/2026
Industry veteran joins Amagi to drive growth in Europe's leading broadcast market and advance cloud-native broadcast, FAST, and AI-driven operations.
LONDO...
29/07/2026
Work is ongoing to specify how to run RIST over WebTransport. This will deliver secure, stable, broadcast quality video playback and origination to any platform...
29/07/2026
Offline Files Makes the Drive Shelf Searchable on Mac
Brie Clayton July 29, 2026
0 Comments
A local Mac app for finding files, photos, and footage acr...
29/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces New UltraStudio Mini 12G
Brie Clayton July 29, 2026
0 Comments
New extremely portable Thunderbolt 4 capture and playback ...
29/07/2026
Brightline Lighting, a premier manufacturer of energy-efficient lighting systems for broadcast, videoconferencing, government, education and corporate applicati...
29/07/2026
Applications open for IFFI/WAVES Film Bazaar in Goa - Producer Delegation 28 July 2026
Image credit: Four Years Later
Screen Australia has opened applications...
29/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/07/2026
Foundry today announced that Academy Award-winning creative studio DNEG has implemented Hiero to support its editorial workflows. Part of the Nuke product famil...
29/07/2026
The Latest Addition to the Brand's StudioPro Ecosystem Combines Simple Deployment, Cloud Control and Professional Grade Wireless Reliability
QuickLink, a l...
29/07/2026
The Secret Master Adjustment Layer Hack in After Effects
Graham Quince July 28, 2026
0 Comments
Trish Meyer (who literally beta-tested the original Af...
29/07/2026
Post Completed with Blackmagic Cloud for Shane Kosugi's Feature Film SEEK
Brie Clayton July 28, 2026
0 Comments
Cannes Indie International Film Fe...
29/07/2026
Isabeau Miller Named Chair of Berklee Songwriting Department The Berklee alumna, who previously served on the Songwriting faculty, will begin her new role on ...
29/07/2026
Luxembourg, July 29, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, was selected by LATAM Airlines to provide multi-orbit inflight connectivity service to its g...
29/07/2026
Wednesday 29 July 2026
Hayu is coming to Sky, bringing fan-favourite franchises...
29/07/2026
RT launches Unsolved, a true crime podcast, presented by crime journalist Barry Cummins and presenter Katja Mia.
Unsolved is a weekly podcast exploring unsol...
28/07/2026
LiveU, the pioneer in IP-video transmission and cloud-based remote production, today detailed its historic performance records set during the 2026 FIFA World Cu...
28/07/2026
The NFL franchise rebuilt their off-site content operation for an era when teams...
28/07/2026
Longtime partners expand viewer choice, data-driven analysis, access, immersive ...
28/07/2026
There is a unique moment before every major production. The audience never sees it.
The cameras are ready. The talent is preparing. Directors review the final...
28/07/2026
The CW Network and ESPN have announced their highly anticipated streaming agreement to bring CW Sports' live events to the ESPN App will officially launch o...
28/07/2026
As more than tens of thousands of spectators filled Paris' Champ de Mars and...
28/07/2026
Appear's X Platform played a central role in Chile's first large-scale c...