[Norm Macdonald]
"Cause the Germans LOVE David Hasselhoff"[/Norm Macdonald]
<a href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=638&ncid=579&e=2&u=/nm/20020709/en_nm/people_hasselhoff_dc" target="_blank">Link</a>
Baywatch's Hasselhoff in Alcohol Treatment Center
Tue Jul 9, 3:14 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor David Hasselhoff, the rugged chief lifeguard on "Baywatch" until the long-running syndicated TV series ceased production in May, has checked into the Betty Ford Center for treatment of a drinking problem.
Hasselhoff, who turns 50 next week, "realized his social drinking had increased more than he was comfortable with and he decided to do something about it," his publicist said in a statement issued on Monday.
Hasselhoff was admitted to the clinic on June 26, his publicist Richard Hoffman said. It was not clear how long the actor would remain in Rancho Mirage, California facility.
Hasselhoff became one of the most recognizable performers in the world starring as lifeguard Mitch Buchannon on "Baywatch," which was seen around the world.
The show debuted on NBC in 1989 and was canceled after one season. But Hasselhoff and his partners acquired rights to the show and brought it back as a syndicated series in 1991 based on his popularity overseas.
But the 11-year-old show, which also made household names of Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra and Yasmine Bleeth, ended its 11-year run in May 2001, falling victim to growing competition and an increasingly fragmented TV market.
