The rest of the summer stretched out in front of me gloriously, free to do whatever I wanted. At the age of ten, I was already drifting back and forth between our house and Granny's as I pleased, savoring the unstructured days of summer. I'd have a slew of television that I enjoyed watching, and mornings were for some of my favorites: Saved by the Bell, American Gladiators, Supermarket Sweep, and I Love Lucy.
After some time playing outside with the neighborhood kids, I'd head to Granny and Gramps' for a grilled cheese sandwich and The Price is Right on the TV, Gramps kept on a rolling cart near the kitchen table.
After lunch, I'd look forward to joining Gramps on the sofa for the soothing voice of Bob Ross and "happy little trees" on The Joy of Painting before sitting down for some juicy drama with Granny for Days of Our Lives.
After that, it would be more outdoor play with the kids next door, or some computer games or SEGA Genesis at my house if it was raining.
Late afternoon meant sneaking in The Simpsons before Mom and Dad got home, plus sitcom reruns like Growing Pains and Charles in Charge. By evening, dinner was on the table. Afterwards, Mom would take a bath or read in bed while Dad and I settled in for Nick at Nite's Summer Block Party. Dad introduced me to several classic shows from his childhood, many of which I still watch. On "Lucy Tuesdays," he'd let me stay up until 9:30 or 10, knowing I "loved Lucy" (ha!), which was my favorite. This late bedtime was a rare treat, given that most nights I'd lie in bed struggling to sleep, with the sun still up, as I listened to the other neighborhood kids playing outside.
Man, those summer days were magical, though. What I wouldn't do...
Beyond my small world, in the summer of 1994, there was a cultural shift. In NASCAR, Jeff Gordon won the Coca-Cola 600, launching his career into superstardom and signaling a generational change in racing. Months earlier, Nancy Kerrigan's leg getting whacked by Tanya Harding's friends launched endless pearl-clutching on the news. The news of Kurt Cobain's death still lingers, and kids in my fourth-grade class had pretended to be "deep" enough to understand the loss of his "art."
The pro wrestling landscape is changing, too. In March, Shane Douglas won the NWA Championship from Terry Funk in Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW). By August, he'll discard the NWA belt and declare himself "The Franchise" and ECW Heavyweight Champion, claiming the NWA was dead, rebranding the promotion into "Extreme" Championship Wrestling. The hardcore revolution had begun! Bret Hart claimed the WWF Championship from Yokozuna at WrestleMania 10, while Scott Hall and Shawn Michaels delivered the first widely seen ladder match.
Also, Hulk Hogan is noticeably absent for the first time since WrestleMania's inception.
Hogan's WWF tenure ended after his final televised appearance at King of the Ring 1993, when he lost the WWF Championship to Yokozuna. His final appearance was at a non-televised house show on August 6, 1993, in Auburn Hills, Michigan, where he teamed with real-life best friend Brutus Beefcake (Ed Leslie) against Money, Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster). His contract would expire soon after, and he opted to not renew, chasing Hollywood dreams.
The WWF quietly shifts its focus to new stars like Bret Hart and Lex Luger, without acknowledging Hogan's exit, leaving themselves open to his return. You can read about Luger's rise (and ride) aboard The Lex Express by clicking HERE.
Hogan's departure stemmed from creative differences, business decisions, and external pressures. At 40, fans deemed him too old, and his "take your vitamins and say your prayers" character had grown stale after nearly a decade. In 1992, he took a break from wrestling to explore Hollywood and start a family, dodging the federal government's steroid investigation into the WWF, which led to an indictment against Vince McMahon in 1994.
His 1993 return at WrestleMania 9 received a lukewarm fan response, and his brief run thereafter felt obligatory rather than passionate. His ten televised matches revealed a level of burnout and disinterest not ever seen before in The Hulkster. When his obligation to the company ended, he walked away, claiming to be done with wrestling for good.
Hulk Hogan in "No Holds Barred"
Hogan's Hollywood ventures over the years yielded mixed results. He played Thunderlips in Rocky III (1982) and starred in the WWF-produced wrestling-centric No Holds Barred in 1989. Both roles gained cult followings but provided limited future success. Suburban Commando (1991) and Mr. Nanny (1993) had moderate success at the box office, but both failed to make him a bankable A-list actor.
In 1992, his agent pitched him to Rysher Entertainment, which was searching for an action star for a new syndicated action series. Rysher, partnering with Baywatch's creators, was developing a new series to ride on the success of Baywatch's "Babes and Bathing Suits" drama.
His audition was less about his acting skills than his presence. His 6'7", 300-pound frame dominated the room with his trademark bandana, dark spray-tan, and Fu Manchu mustache. Director Douglas Schwartz, in a 1994 Orlando Sentinel interview, noted that "He wasn't a trained actor, but his energy was undeniable." His wrestling "promo" style of delivering lines - a booming, larger-than-life monologue - suited the action-hero dialogue, prompting producers to emphasize stunts over drama.
Schwartz also mentioned that Hogan's Tampa Bay residence was a bonus, as filming was already set for Orlando and other parts of Central Florida thanks to Disney-MGM's production studios and the financial incentives to film in the state of Florida.
The above video is an approximately 5-minute "screener" for the series pilot direct-to-video movie.
Hogan signed on, under the name Terry "Hulk" Hogan, in late 1992 for Thunder in Paradise. His contract provided enough flexibility for him to return to wrestling or participate in other film ventures, should the occasion arise.
Thunder in Paradise was a gloriously cheesy action-adventure show that blended Baywatch's sun-soaked drama and Knight Rider's gadget obsession with a bit of pro wrestling flair.
Like many franchises in the early 90s, this series' pilot episode was actually produced as a direct-to-video feature film. The film was released in September 1993. This film was then used to sell the production to networks, which launched a 22-episode syndicated series.
Hogan starred as Randolph "Hurricane" Spencer, a former Navy SEAL turned mercenary, operating from the fictional Paradise Beach Resort on Florida's Gulf Coast. With Spencer's tech-savvy partner Martin "Bru" Brubaker, the pair operated a futuristic speedboat, named "Thunder," to battle drug lords, rogue militias, and cartoonish villains. Brubaker was played by Chris Lemmon, who was the spitting image of his father, comedic legend Jack Lemmon.
"Thunder," the modified 38-foot Scarab dubbed "Razzle Dazzle" in real life, is the true star of the show, with fictional gadgets like stealth mode, cannons, and underwater capabilities. The supporting cast adds a soap-opera flair: Carol Alt plays a bartender and love interest named Kelly LaRue. LaRue is also a mother figure to Spencer's (Hogan) adopted daughter Jessica (Robin Weisman, and later Ashley Gorrell). Patrick Macnee appears as Jessica's aristocratic upper-class grandfather, Edward Whittaker. A veteran actor, best known from the 1960s series The Avengers, lends a bit of gravitas to the cast.
The pilot film, released in 1993, sees Spencer's financial woes force him to marry Edward's daughter, Megan Whittacker (Felicity Waterman), in a marriage of convenience, to save his boat Thunder from repossession.
On Eric Bischoff's 83 Weeks podcast, filming was described as a "logistical adventure" that took place between late 1993 and summer 1994. It was centered at Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney's Hollywood Studios). In those days, the theme park also operated as a major film and animation hub, offering soundstages, a backlot studio, and special effects teams.
Soundstages at Disney-MGM hosted interiors like Spencer's resort headquarters, Kelly's bar, and Whittaker's mansion. The backlot's New York Street (later used by Hogan for a ticker-tape parade and in WCW Monday Nitro's opening sequence) and the Residential Street doubled as urban and suburban settings.
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| Hulk and Sting in front of The Grand Floridian Resort |
Disney fans can also spot scenes shot at The Grand Floridian Resort and EPCOT's Living Seas Pavilion, the latter of which was used for several underwater scenes.
Other exterior shots feature "open water scenes" in Tampa Bay, the beaches of St. Petersburg, and Fort DeSoto Park, which doubled as a Cuban military base.
The boat Thunder, owned by the show's stunt coordinator John Grant, was modified to suggest high-tech features, although most relied on low-budget CGI. An athlete and avid boater, Hogan performed most of his stunts, like leaping onto moving yachts and waterskiing, but allowed doubles for the riskier maneuvers. A 1993 St. Petersburg Times article reported a near miss once when the boat clipped a dock during a chase scene. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt.
The syndicated format, designed for flexible airtimes, targeted kids, wrestling fans, and action lovers with fun escapist storylines, resolving each episode in 45 minutes. TV Guide, however, dismissed the show as "violent, dumb, and dull," but its campy charm and Hogan's star power hooked children and wrestling fans worldwide.
Even with his name signed to a contract on the new series, Hogan couldn't stay away from his true love of professional wrestling. The pilot movie, filmed in early 1993 while Hogan was still with the WWF (he was just about to make his return at WrestleMania 9), premiered direct-to-video in September 1993. In March 1994, WCW and Gene Okerlund visited the set of Thunder in Paradise and interviewed him for WCW programming, even though Hogan was unsigned to either promotion.
Hogan would appear again on WCW Saturday Night on May 28, 1994, expressing his desire to return to the ring with WCW. He even symbolically tore up a (fake) Thunder in Paradise contract to show there was nothing he'd rather do than return to wrestling.
Filming for Thunder continued despite telling the world on WCW Saturday Night that he was no longer interested in anything but wrestling. Hogan often required retakes for botched dialogue but was known for keeping the cast engaged with humor. According to a 2020 Baywatch Nights podcast, he was a "true gentle giant" on set.
Throughout the 22 episodes, Hogan would use his influence to shape the tone of the series, pushing for wrestling-inspired elements like over-the-top villains and physical, juvenile comedy. Wrestlers increasingly joined the show as his involvement with WCW picked up, including Sting (Steve Borden) playing the supervillain Hammerhead in four episodes, who battled Hogan in boat chases and underwater fight scenes, foreshadowing their industry-changing WCW/nWo feud a few years later.
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| Jim Neidhart, Jimmy Hart, and Hogan |
Brutus Beefcake (Ed Leslie) played multiple minor roles, often a thug or other background actor. Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart appeared as Norman Kawalski in an arm-wrestling scene, explaining Spencer's eye patch. The patch covered Hogan's real-life eye injury, which he attributed to a jet-ski accident. Still, others in the wrestling world attributed to a rumored fight with Randy Savage over Miss Elizabeth.
Tourists at Disney-MGM occasionally appear in the background of several shots, humorously pointing and waving at Hogan.
Meanwhile, wrestling continued to evolve without Hogan actively participating. The WWF's "New Generation Era" spotlights newer faces like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. WCW, beginning to emerge as a global competitor, trades the NWA's smoky arenas for bright studios and cutting-edge production. After the 1988 demise of Jim Crockett Productions, WCW faced financial losses and directionless leadership. Hired in 1991 as a "fourth string announcer" from the dying AWA, Eric Bischoff rose to Senior Vice President by 1994 and was steering WCW's creative and financial path.
On his podcast, Bischoff stressed the need for a game-changer to ensure long-term viability, especially internationally, through higher ratings, more press, and increased revenue from distribution rights, sponsorships, and merchandising. Bischoff began rebuilding by signing stars like "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Hogan's friend and occasional rival.
Through Hogan's agent, Henry Holmes, Bischoff met with Hogan over lunch at Disney-MGM Studios, where both WCW and Thunder happened to be filming. Ric Flair, who Hogan trusted, joined in on the initial meeting, easing Hogan's wariness of Bischoff.
Erif offered a lighter schedule, 150 dates per year against WWF's 300, suiting Hogan's desire for his Tampa-based family life. The deal itself was lucrative for Hogan: $500,000 per pay-per-view (up to four annually, totaling $2 million) and increases reaching $600,000 per based on a 40% revenue split.
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| Hogan signs his new WCW contract at Disney MGM Studios |
With an offer like that, Hogan eagerly signed with WCW on June 11, 1994.
WCW staged a monumental press conference at Disney-MGM Studios, aired live on WCW Saturday Night. A parade down the New York City street set featured Hogan in a red-and-yellow convertible, named "The Hulkmobile." Confetti and balloons fall as a crowd cheers, creating a grand illusion. Decades later, on his podcast, Bischoff claimed the crowd were all theme-park goers given free wrestling and park merchandise in exchange for appearing excited on camera.
As ten-year-old me watched from Granny's kitchen table, I was convinced it was a massive ordeal. I was beyond excited that The Hulkster was joining my favorite wrestling company, and only years later did I realize that the same small group of people were in every shot.
At the press conference, Hogan hypes his "dream match" against the current WCW Champion, Ric Flair, at Bash at the Beach on July 17, 1994. This calculated move by Bischoff immediately rebranded WCW as a global powerhouse.
Hogan's debut against Flair put the 1980s WWF icon against WCW's homegrown legend. Hogan won the title, of course, cementing his status as WCW's top star and marking the turning of a new page for the company. He'd later feud with groups like The Alliance to End Hulkamania and The Dungeon of Doom, which you can read more about The Dungeon of Doom here in my article about WCW in 1995.
After signing with WCW, Hogan instantly received a heftier paycheck and more publicity than through his work on Thunder in Paradise, and his interest in the series waned immediately. An astute businessman, Hogan likely sensed the show's modest ratings wouldn't elevate him as much as being the superstar of World Championship Wrestling.
The exact filming dates for the series Thunder in Paradise are not publicly documented in standard online sources; however, based on a typical television production schedule, filming likely commenced in mid-1993 and ran to early summer of 1994, allowing time for editing and post-production. The show consisted of 22 episodes from March 25, 1994, to November 27, 1994. As a reminder, Hulk Hogan's ticker tape parade was on June 11, 1994, so filming ended shortly after.
After returning to wrestling, Hogan's reduced Thunder involvement led to reused footage and storylines focusing more on villains or the supporting cast. Wrestling "news" website Wrestling, Inc. notes that the ratings were "just okay," and potentially enough for a second season, but Hogan's WCW commitment sealed the show's fate.
Hogan said later in interviews that he had suggested rebranding the show as "Thunderforce," starring his friend Mr. T and a female martial artist, but the idea never left the boardroom.
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| Screenshot from the Thunder in Paradise video game |
A Thunder in Paradise video game was made for the obscure Philips CD-i console. It featured interactive movie-style gameplay with real show footage, but the game flopped due to the system's unpopularity.
Toy Island created a line of action figures for the series, capitalizing on the show's kid appeal. The line included Hogan's character, generic villains, and a "Thunder" boat replica.
A year or two after Thunder was cancelled in November 1994, Hulk Hogan reunited with the creative team behind the Thunder series when he appeared on their other hit show, Baywatch. Capitalizing on his larger-than-life persona and the popularity of professional wrestling during the Monday Night War, Hogan and his wrestling colleagues were ideal guest stars.
In a Baywatch episode titled "Bash at the Beach," aired on February 19, 1996, Hogan played himself, bringing his "Hulkamania-level energy" to the show. For context, the infamous WCW Bash at the Beach pay-per-view, where Hogan turned "heel" and ignited the wrestling world by forming the nWo, occurred on July 7, 1996.
The episode's storyline centered on saving a fictional youth center from an evil real estate developer, who was revealed to be Hogan's wrestling rival, Ric Flair. The episode served as a promotional vehicle for WCW, incorporating wrestling matches using footage from the July 1995 WCW Bash at the Beach pay-per-view, which featured a ring set up on the beach in Huntington Beach, California.
This wrestling-focused episode showcased several of WCW's biggest stars, creating a memorable spectacle. Alongside Hogan and Flair was Randy "Macho Man" Savage, who teamed up with Hogan to save the fictional Venice Boys Youth Center. Flair played the main villain, supported by "The Taskmaster" Kevin Sullivan and Big Van Vader.
However, using edited clips from the 1995 Bash at the Beach, particularly presenting a Hogan-Vader match as a cage match to heighten drama, caused some inconsistencies for wrestling fans.
Vader had been fired from WCW due to a backstage altercation with former wrestler-turned-producer "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff and had joined the rival WWF when the Baywatch episode aired.
The wrestling sequences drew criticism for their awkward integration, with exaggerated sound effects reminiscent of the campy 1960s Batman series. Additionally, fans of both wrestling and Baywatch criticized the use of recycled in-ring footage instead of new scenes, a decision driven by budget constraints. The Baywatch storyline, featuring Hogan and Savage against Flair, Vader, and Sullivan, was current at the time of the July 1995 footage but felt outdated by the episode's airing in spring 1996, as it no longer aligned with WCW's ongoing storylines.
The crossover highlighted WCW's mainstream push as it climbed to become a global competitor to WWF, just before the revolutionary nWo storyline transformed wrestling. Despite its flaws, the episode was a ratings success, drawing significant attention to WCW's upcoming nWo storyline, which would launch with Hogan a few months later. For WCW, appearing on a hit primetime show was a significant coup, showcasing its top talent to a broader audience and reinforcing Hogan's status as a pop culture icon, bridging wrestling and mainstream entertainment.
Thunder in Paradise may not have broken records, but its legacy endures in wrestling lore. By chance, the proximity of WCW and Thunder in Paradise productions brought Hogan back to wrestling, reshaping professional wrestling history. The series' cult following thrives on YouTube and social media, where fans continue to celebrate its 1990s cheesiness. A relic of "badly made" TV, tied to Disney-MGM Studios and professional wrestling, Thunder holds a nostalgic grip on those of us who grew up watching it.
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