Doug McClure, who plays J.D. Pennington, was famous for his youthful looks and playing roles much younger than he was. In this role, which first aired in March 1984, McClure was just 49 years, but (conspicuously) made up to look much older, as he was supposedly a contemporary of Harry Fox, Sr.. Jack Warden, who played Fox, was actually 15 years older than McClure.
Dixie Carter, who played the woman interested in Harry romantically, would go on to star in the TV series "Designing Women".