The "New Lady in Town" referred to in the title is Dominique Devereux, played by Diahann Carroll, making her first appearance in the series. Carroll's casting was big news as she was the first African-American to be featured in a main role in a primetime soap. Carroll herself lobbied to Aaron Spelling for the opportunity to play primetime's first "black bitch".
Deborah Adair's final appearance in the series. She had landed the lead in Aaron Spelling's new show Finder of Lost Loves (1984) which ultimately only lasted one season.