Creation and Casting
When Shelley Long decided to leave the show in 1987 as Diane Chambers, ending the Sam and Diane storyline that ran for five years, the creators knew they wanted a new female lead and determined that she would not have blonde hair, would not resemble Long, and would be unknown to television viewers. Kirstie Alley was one of the first actresses to audition for the role of Rebecca Howe, and seemed ideal. Although she met all the criteria, they continued to audition actresses, but none improved on Alley's portrayal of the character.
An original concept of Rebecca Howe was the executive businesswoman, who was intended for the "love-hate" relationship with the ex-athlete, Sam Malone, inspired by works about "mixture of romance and antagonism of two people, in a competitive situation." The concept evolved into a relationship between Malone and pretentious, college-educated waitress Diane Chambers. After Shelley Long's departure, the concept was reverted back to the original concept with Alley as Rebecca Howe.
Rebecca has made a lot of mistakes in the corporate structure. She's going to be fired by the corporation, unless she handles Sam's bar correctly. She's not a ditz, but she has a neurotic side. She's volatile and eccentric, so when she loses it emotionally, she really loses it. She's either strong and in control or way out there. —Kirstie Alley, Lawrence Journal-World, 1987Despite concerns about losing Long, ratings rose with Alley. When the character debuted, Rebecca was a "martinet" of the show and "smart, tough businesswoman". However, the writers were not thrilled with original premises of Rebecca Howe and found her not "funny". As the show progressed, in one episode "Finally, Part Two" (1990) when she " apart", writers found Rebecca "hysterical" when she becomes "more neurotic, insecure, and sexually frustrated", and Kirstie Alley's physical performance was praised. Therefore, she began to be headed into "that direction" that she was written in that episode for the sake of humor with some of her intelligence and dignity sacrificed.
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