Glenn Scarpelli left the long-running One Day at a Time (1975), which he felt had a limited future, to join the cast of this show. He wasn't entirely wrong; this show's final episode aired May 12, 1984, and the One Day at a Time's final episode aired May 28, 1984.
This is one of 9 shows premiering on NBC in fall 1983 that was cancelled before the end of its first season.
The show was originally placed in a low-rated Friday night timeslot, and eventually canceled. NBC later aired reruns on Wednesday nights, and it became a surprise hit. There were plans to revive it for a second season, but Ann Jillian opted to star in the syndicated revival of her previous series, It's a Living (1980).
When the pilot was shot, Joey was an only child. After the show was picked up, the decision was made to give him a little sister, so a new scene was shot with Mya Stark and inserted into the broadcast version of the pilot.