The show's female production staff, headed by Stephanie Sills, the producer, were a mirror image of the show's scenario. The female "All That Glitters" cast were located in a corporate kingdom titled "Globatron." Preliminary production (design) discussion centered upon a corporate logo for the fictional Globatron business empire. Stephanie Sills dictated that the logo should feature a rose, a world globe being held, balanced with-in the open rose (petals) blossom. Specifically, the rose represented a woman's sex organ trapping the world power within. In the main board room set, the sculptured logo was featured prominently, on the wall behind the corporate director's glass top desk and chair.
Linda Gray was somewhat nonplussed upon being offered the role of transgender Linda Murkland. "I remember meeting Norman and Frances and him saying, 'You'll be perfect for the role.' I didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or what." To prepare for her role, Linda Gray asked Lear to arrange for her to meet with a transgender woman. Gray met with her for several hours prior to the beginning of filming and on a couple of occasions during production. The character's role also established a romance between a black and white relationship, with the pair shown on camera - in bed together. Lois Nettleton reportedly based her characterization of her role as Christina Stockwood on Clark Gable.
The lyrics for the "All That Glitters" opening are as follows: "One morning the Lord, She woke up to say, "I feel like I want to be creative today. So by virtue of the power I have invested in me I make the heaven, earth and the deep blue sea. Things that swim, fly, walk by, creep and crawl. Now I'd better make someone to name it all. Yes, a human was needed in the neighborhood. So the Lord made woman and it was good. Now the garden of Eden is no place to be alone. So from the rib of the Madam came Adam full grown. As time went by this groom and bride followed the instructions and multiplied. She'd hunt, he'd cook. She'd work, he'd play. While she administered the government, he crocheted. She wore the mail, he wore the vale He concubined and walked behind, She was, you'll pardon the expression, the mastermind. So is it any wonder why the men complain that from the dawn of time it's been a woman's domain". - ("She wore the mail" refers to medieval chain mail body armor).
After "All That Glitters" was in production with an established cast, broadcast as an independent syndicated-prime-time off-network series, Norman Lear created a bickering exiled oil rich Saudia Arabian Sheikh princess Abu Bahn and her prince husband which was based upon his own married relationship with wife Francis Lear. The Lear's asked their friends Rhea Perlman, at age 29 (b.03/31/1948), to be Sheikh Abu Bahn and Danny Devito, at age 33 (b.11/19/1944), to be the Sheikh to perform as the oil rich Suadia Arabian royal couple in their satire.
The series was video taped at the KTTV Studio, Hollywood, CA., where Norman Lear had his Empire (production office) established. The "All That Glitters" offices had been set up at the KTTV studios, assigned a stage where the art department and wardrobe had offices within the stage complex; including the stage control room--director, AD, tech director, lighting director, editor video-tape facility. Scenery was built outside of the studio at an independent Hollywood set construction shop (Dick Sheehan). Don Roberts asked for, and hired Hub Braden, joining Braden with Norman Lear's art department team, to be Production Designer, art directing and dressing the new series. The show's "soap" schedule identified with a daily drama, taped similar to a network day-time drama, for a night-time syndicated Monday through Friday viewing time slot. The scenario established a role reversal between male and female character. The comedic intent was when God made Woman, called Eve. Afterwards, God (a woman) felt Eve needed a partner creating Adam. The dominate female role "Eve" model had carried down through Centuries: Moses had been Mosea, a woman, Jesus had been Jessia, a woman, not King Louis XIV, but Queen Louisa XIV. Women ran the corporate world with a woman president. The counter-part for office personnel was a male secretary, no house-wife but a house-husband, staying at home to clean, raise the kids, cook, minding the home requirements! An interesting premise for a twist of fate. Dialogue and situations in the projected scenarios expanded this premise. Norman Lear went as far as to make the Producing staff all female, women Producers including the production personnel, except for Production Designer Hub Braden, the Director Herb Kenwith, Prop-master Warren Schaffer, stage hands, and camera men and studio facility support technicians.