The theme music, written by Mike Post, became a hit song on its own and won a Grammy. Post said that when he was writing the theme, he first wanted the music to match the gritty visuals he was shown. He then decided to do the opposite, to create a theme that was beautiful and serene, that "took you away" from what you were seeing.
First weekly television series to receive $1 million from the network to film a single episode.
The series is regarded as a hallmark in American dramatic television. It was the first dramatic series to incorporate long shots, hand-held camerawork and continuous story lines and an ensemble cast with each getting equal screen time. It was nominated for a record 21 Emmys for its first season in spite of low ratings.
NBC executives supported the series in its infancy, despite a lack of viewers. In 1981 it became the lowest-rated series ever renewed for a second season. It also wasn't renewed for the entire season, just for ten episodes. It was only picked up for the full season after ratings improved.
Most episodes were written so that the action took place over the course of a single day.