"Duet" was part of the original Sunday primetime line-up for the newly-minted Fox TV network that launched in April 1987. Fox was the first challenger to the "Big-3" television networks. Other shows introduced that spring included "Married with Children", "21 Jump Street", and "The Tracey Ullman Show."
Alison La Placa was only hired to appear in two episodes, but the crew liked her and decided to keep her around. She gradually became the show's breakout character and landed her own spinoff when this series was canceled.