 When Conrad Bain (qv) signed on to do _"Maude" (1972)_ (qv), the  production company promised him his own show when that one ended. By  then, Gary Coleman (qv) was also signed to the company. When the  planned updating of the "Our Gang" comedy series, which Coleman  would have been in, was aborted, they paired them and decided to  come up with a suitable premise.