Interesting Mark Hamill originated the role of David Bradford in the pilot for EiE. When was the pilot filmed? It must have been right before he landed the role of Luke Skywalker!

The pilot was filmed in the spring of 1976. ABC didn't pick it up for fall, but Lorimar - the production company - retained the options for the actors and continued to try to sell the show to ABC. Hamill went off to film "Star Wars" in the summer of 1976, and was dismayed to learn in the late fall of 1976 that ABC had picked up EIE to series. He tried to get out of his contract, but ABC liked the idea of having a feature film actor in the series, and refused to let him out. But a few weeks before filming was to resume, he banged up his face in a car accident, so the producers recast.

Too bad - I really liked Mark's take on David. Grant Goodeve's David seemed so smarmy.

Yup - E! True Hollywood Story went into the issue in-depth. Mark Hamill's accident kept him out of commission for awhile, and the producers had to scramble to recast his role. I wonder what would have happened had the injury not occured and if the producers/network would've done had MH continued to fight to get out of the show.