Was It's a Living the first show of its kind

[TMC]

What I mean is that it was pretty much an also-ran on network television, went on a multi-year production hiatus, and then picked up virtually where it left off (i.e. with mostly the same cast, crew, motif, etc.)?

To give you a better idea, Too Close for Comfort which like IAL started its life on ABC, got cancelled, and then resumed in first-run syndication, was only off the air for approximately eight months. Charles in Charge, was off the air for roughly a year and a half (when CBS dropped it after only one season) before resuming in syndication in January 1987.

It's a Living on the other hand, was out of production for a good three and a half years in-between Season 2 (which ended on June 11, 1982) and Season 3 (which began on September 28, 1985).