 The show was originally canceled in 1986 due to low ratings.  However, the subsequent announcement that Pierce Brosnan was the  prime candidate for the part of James Bond lead many viewers to  watch Remington Steele during its primetime reruns that summer. The  ratings increased, leading NBC to bring back the series for one more  season, and causing Brosnan to lose the James Bond role to  Timothy Dalton (qv).