To pursue this eponymous series, Walker opted out of the sixth and final season of McMillan and Wife, for which she had been nominated multiple times for both Prime Time Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. Her other series at the time, Rhoda (for which she was also repeatedly nominated for Emmys and Golden Globes) reduced her role from that of a series regular to a recurring role. In the end, The Nancy Walker Show was not a success, and only 13 episodes were produced, one of which was never even aired by ABC.