Originally produced as the pilot for A Man Called Sloane (1979), though it wasn't broadcast until a year after the show was cancelled. Several changes were made for the series. The lead role of Sloane was given to Robert Conrad, and the character of Torque, who was a villain in this movie, became a hero.
Filmed in 1979, this aired in the U.K. on 3 January 1980, but didn't air in the U.S. until 5 March 1981.