Shaun Cassidy took over the role of Dave Stohler (played by Dennis Christopher in the film),[1] a young man crazy about bicycle racing and all things Italian.

Barbara Barrie, Jackie Earle Haley, and John Ashton reprised their roles from the film.

[2] The television series was set in Bloomington, Indiana, but was actually shot in Athens, Georgia.

The series was caught up in the 1980 Screen Actors Guild strike and did not begin production until that fall.

While heavily promoted by ABC, it was overlooked by TV audiences once it got onto the air and suffered low ratings.