right ▁time " ▁to ▁start ▁forming ▁attach ments . ▁Russell ▁dro ps ▁off ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁catalog ▁for ▁Peter ▁and ▁inv ites ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁opening . ▁ ▁Production ▁Open ly ▁gay ▁screen writer ▁Richard ▁K ram er ▁wrote ▁" Str angers ", ▁originally ▁including ▁h ug ging ▁and ▁kiss ing ▁between ▁Peter ▁and ▁Russell . ▁ABC ▁and ▁the ▁produ cers ▁agreed ▁to ▁eliminate ▁the ▁physical ▁contact ▁between ▁the ▁men ▁in ▁negoti ations . ▁E pisode ▁director ▁Peter ▁O ' F all on ▁re called ▁that ▁the ▁cast ▁and ▁crew ▁anticip ated ▁controvers y ▁and ▁took ▁p ains ▁" to ▁re he arse ▁[ the ▁scene ] ▁in ▁a ▁normal ▁way , ▁to ▁not ▁make ▁it ▁too ▁provoc ative ▁or , ▁honest ly , ▁too ▁sexual ". ▁David ▁Marshall ▁Grant ▁con cur red : ▁“ We ▁were ▁told ▁that ▁if ▁we ▁touched ▁each ▁other ▁in ▁any ▁way ▁under ▁the ▁covers , ▁that ▁it ▁wouldn ’ t ▁go ▁on ▁the ▁air . ▁Watch ing ▁the ▁scene , ▁all ▁I ▁see ▁is ▁how ▁completely ▁st iff ▁we ▁were . ▁We ▁were ▁so ▁afraid ▁we ▁might ▁actually ▁touch . ▁But ▁other ▁than ▁that , ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁very ▁typical ▁day . ▁We ▁shot ▁it ; ▁it ▁went ▁fine ." ▁ ▁Cont ro vers y ▁There ▁was ▁no ▁public ▁out c ry ▁about ▁the ▁episode ▁before ▁it ▁a ired . ▁Following ▁the ▁broadcast , ▁ABC ▁received ▁around ▁ 4 0 0 ▁tele phone ▁calls ▁with ▁about ▁ 9 0 % ▁of ▁them ▁being ▁negative . ▁TV