Jim Timony (played by James Brolin) met West in 1916, at which time they were romantically involved. After their affair ended, he continued as both her personal manager and legal advisor, and remained a part of her life and career (living adjacent to her in an apartment building owned by Miss West) until his death in 1954.
When it first aired on ABC in 1982, this was the third highest-rated network program of the entire week.