Cynthia Nixon, who plays the same role she did in the original, did this sequel to HBO's Tanner '88 (1988) as she was wrapping up work on Sex and the City (1998), also broadcast on HBO. In this series, her character has become a filmmaker and film teacher. In the last episode, a student asks her if she knows anyone "at HBO".
Both series take place during historically bad years for Democrats running for president. In 1988, when the original series takes place, Michael Dukakis lost the presidency for a rare third election in a row, while in 2004, when this series is set, John Kerry lost the popular vote for the only time after 1988.