 The pilot was written by series co @-@ creators Carey and Bruce Helford , while Michael Lessac directed . It was shot in April 1995 at the Warner Bros. Television studios in Burbank , California . The episode ranked joint 29th in television programs with the most viewers for the week of September 11 – 17 , 1995 . Critical response was mixed , with many comparing the show to the NBC sitcom Friends . Ray Richmond from the Los Angeles Daily News praised Carey 's performance , but thought the episode did not click , while Variety 's Tony Scott liked the opening sequence and Lessac 's " inventive " direction . 
