Paul Nichols dead: Baywatch icon dies less than two weeks after wife's death

Baywatch legend Paul Nichols, who saved the show from being axed, has died. The star died at his home in Weatherford, Texas, a number of weeks ago.

He died on March 14 but his family only now made the news public. Only 12 days before he died, his wife of 31 years, Linda, passed away.No cause of death has been disclosed as of yet.

In 1991, Nichols, then working for The Lippen Group, played a crucial role in the revival of 'Baywatch' by helping All American Television shift it into first-run syndication. This savvy move breathed new life into the series that NBC had dropped after its initial season.

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Thanks to his efforts, the show not only survived but thrived, continuing for another decade until 2001 under the watch of David Hasselhoff and sparking a global phenomenon.

Fellow publicist Les Eisner lauded Nichols' influence to The Hollywood Reporter, saying he "was largely responsible for branding [Baywatch] as the world's most-watched TV series. Whether that was true or not, who knows? But it stuck."

While Paul's life-saving intervention for 'Baywatch' might not have seemed fully validated in 1991, by 1996, the series was reportedly pulling in an incredible 1.1 billion viewers each week, reports .

To this day, 'Baywatch' retains the prestigious Guinness World Record for being the most-watched TV show across the globe.

With a reach spanning 142 countries and available in 44 languages, the show's success spawned the spin-off series 'Baywatch Nights' and a feature film in 2017.

But it wasn't just about viewership; 'Baywatch' turned its cast into international sensations. While David Hasselhoff had already gained fame via 'Knight Rider,' it was 'Baywatch' that cemented him as a global icon, and it introduced stars like Pamela Anderson and Donna D'Errico to the wider .

Born on March 22, 1948, in Delaware, Paul earned his degree in broadcast journalism from Penn State University in 1970.

He kicked off his career as a DJ before securing a role at the renowned talk show The Mike Douglas Show, based in Philadelphia. In 1980, he relocated to California to work for John Davidson, Douglas' talk-show successor.

Throughout his illustrious career, he also worked with Group W, All American Television and Sony Pictures Television.

Paul's wife Linda, who passed away on March 2 at the age of 77, held a senior position at the TV marketing association Promax. After hanging up their professional hats, the couple moved to Texas to be nearer to her family.

He leaves behind his brother Robert, sister-in-law Denise, nephews Steve and James, and niece Caitlin.

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