The show premiered on ABC, which had recently been acquired by Disney. Despite ranking a respectable #25 out of over 150 shows in the year's ratings, it didn't fit with the network's family sitcom image, so they canceled it. NBC quickly scooped it up and placed it on their "Must See TV Thursday" schedule between Seinfeld (1989) and E.R. - Medici in prima linea (1994), where it ranked #4 for its short second season, tying with Friends (1994). For the third year, NBC fired most of the cast, moved it to Monday nights alongside other workplace comedies that had done well on Thursdays (Susan (1996), Fired Up (1997) and Caroline in the City (1995)), and ratings plummeted, with it ranking #69 for the final season. Seven episodes didn't surface until the show began airing in weekday reruns on the NBC-owned USA Network in 1999.
Prior to the show's premiere, the network had erroneously promoted the show's title as "Wilde Again", playing on the lead character's surname. Closer to the premiere date, ABC aired a promo with Téa Leoni comically explaining the error and the correct title.
The Dave character (portrayed by Mark Roberts) went through drastic changes each year. The first season, he was Stupid Dave Bippenwhacker, a severely mentally challenged photographer. The second season, he was Dave, the dimwitted office eccentric. The third season, his intellect ballooned as he became Dave Fontaine, the dorky office accountant. Roberts once joked that Dave would be running the company in the fourth year. Despite being one of the only actors to transition to the final season, he ultimately vanished without an on-screen explanation.