In 1962 the rights to Stanley, Stella and Blanche were leased to Paramount Studios by Tennessee Williams, after he had to finance the Broadway run of his experimental piece How Much Is That Doggie in the Electric Chair? The characters were left dormant until 1967, when the potential for a sitcom was realized by Daniel 'Dan' Fanny, then head gardener at Paramount's vegetable garden lot and aspiring television writer/producer. Using his initiative (and blackmail), Fanny secured the funding from Robert Evans, then Head of Production at Paramount for a pilot.