In 2026, beleaguered Hollywood entertainment industry workers will see the return of what was once a major local employer: the TV show “Baywatch.” The reboot became one of 17 TV shows and 28 films to receive an award from California's recently expanded film and television tax credit program, which more than doubled from $330 million to $750 million in 2025.

State officials hope the new tax credits will help them reverse what has been a brutal, yearslong slowdown in production because of the Covid pandemic, actors and writers strikes, Los Angeles wildfires and an exodus of business to new production hubs with generous tax incentives.