Robert Blake fought to get the pilot made and on the air even though it was to run against "Dynasty," the Number One show on television during the 1984-85 season. When the TV-movie pilot did better than any NBC show had done against "Dynasty" (by a wide margin), Blake then asked NBC to immediately take the show to series even though it was still two months before NBC was to announce their schedule. He also balked at a six-episode order (too few to get "Dynasty" "under control", he claimed) and demanded 12 shows, later getting four more when initial ratings weren't too bad. He was able to deliver by putting the show into production earlier than most rookie series could.