[1] The show was based on the 1947 novel Blood Brothers, by Elliott Arnold, which had been made into a film in 1950, starring James Stewart as Tom Jeffords and Jeff Chandler playing as Cochise.

[5][6] Series co-star John Lupton noted that the production tried to stay as true to the book as possible.

[7] Location shooting took place at Fox Ranch in Malibu Canyon and Vaquez Rocks.

[9] Donald Kirkley wrote in The Baltimore Sun, "Broken Arrow is hitting the bulls-eye and setting a good example.

"[3] Kirkley noted that "some soft-pedalling" occurred in adapting content from the book to the TV show, but he concluded, "It's a good story, and if it helps to give some viewers a new perspective on the Indian's version of our history, it will be doing an excellent service.