Pacific Blue was a one-hour television drama about a team of police officers who patrolled the beaches of Santa Monica, California on bicycle. The show ran for five seasons on the USA Network, from March 2, 1996 to April 9, 2000, with a total of one hundred and one episodes. Often derided as "Baywatch on bikes," the series enjoyed a popular run among the USA Network's young male viewers, and was highly watched in France, Israel, and other foreign markets.

The series underwent a cast shakeup between the third and fourth seasons, one which dramatically altered its tone. The third season finale brought the departure of actors Marcos Ferraez and Rick Rossovich. The fourth season premiere brought four major cast additions: Shanna Moakler, as Monica Harper, Amy Hunter as Jamie Strickland, Jeff Stearns, as Russ Granger, and Mario Lopez as Bobby Cruz. These new recruits to the Pacific Blue unit, all in their early to mid-20's, skewed the show's cast in a younger direction.

Jim Davidson and Paula Trickey, who had previously played the role of the show's young blood, evolved into the "old guard" as their characters took on leadership roles within the Pacific Blue unit. In addition, the characters of Jim Davidson and Darlene Vogel, who had become romantically linked in the third season, were married in the fourth season opener. Storylines for the fourth and fifth seasons emphasized undercover and vice work; while these areas would normally fall out of the purview of a police unit like Pacific Blue, the show always made an effort to explain away each incident as an exception, episode by episode. The changes can be credited with extending the life of the series for two additional seasons.

Pacific Blue was produced by veteran television writer-producer Bill Nuss and veteran television executive and producer Gary Nardino. Their production company, North Hall Productions, took its name from their respective alma maters - Northwestern University and Seton Hall University.

While currently not in re-runs in the U.S., the series has enjoyed a slight uptick in recognition recently with the MTV reality series Meet the Barkers, which chronicles the married life of Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker and his wife (and Pacific Blue vet) Shanna Moakler. A clip of her from Pacific Blue can be seen in the opening credits of Meet the Barkers.

Pacific Blue also featured numerous appearances by professional wrestling stars playing other characters, including Chyna, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels.

Pacific Blue also featured the trials rider Hans Rey preforming tricks in a number of episodes.

See also: List of Pacific Blue cast members

This flashy cop series is all about the bicycle patrol of the Santa Monica Police Department, in which the officers and their flashy equipment are as young and casual as their work area, mainly the beach, and as agile and well-trained on their bikes as traditional mounted police on horseback. The bulk of their work is prevention and petty crime, such as pickpockets and purse-snatchers, but of course the more spectacular atypical cases, often one-offs, sometimes even involving the FBI, get extra attention. No less attention is paid to the relationships between all these hotshots (some change during the series), young and ambitious, sexy and horny, so there's lots of temptation, amorous and professional rivalry, conflicting personal and professional interests. Of course this causes most worries for their commanding Lieutenant, usually the one who has to deal with the regular hierarchy above him, originally Anthony Palermo, later on the very former rookie who long gave him most cause for concern, Terence "T.C." Callaway. Written by KGF Vissers