Development The executive producer was
Leonard Stern, a former staff writer for and executive producer of
Get Smart, which featured an android character named Hymie who was largely a prototype for Yoyo. Several episodes of
Holmes & Yoyo were directed by
John Astin. John Schuck also appeared as SFPD Detective Sgt. Charles Enright in the
McMillan & Wife made-for-television films that starred
Rock Hudson alongside
Susan Saint James, of which Stern was also creator and executive producer.
Yoyo's abilities Besides super-strength, Yoyo's other abilities include speed reading, and the ability to analyze clues at the scene. Yoyo had a built-in
Polaroid camera: each time his nose was pressed, a
Polaroid photograph of his view would be taken and ejected from his shirt pocket. Yoyo's control panel was built into his chest, which could be opened by pulling his tie. The level of Yoyo's batteries was critical, because if they ran down his memory and, effectively, his being would be erased. In one episode his batteries came very close to running down completely, and he was charged by being pushed against an electric fence with his arms extended. Yoyo weighed 427 pounds, and his heavy build could absorb the shock of a bomb. Much of the show's comedy was derived from Yoyo's constant malfunctions. Some of his common problems included: • Uncontrollably spinning head over heels when near an electric garage door that was opening or closing. • Bullets causing him to break out dancing • Magnets flying at him • Picking up radio signals from Sweden • A slew of Polaroid photos spewing from his shirt pocket when a criminal punched him in the nose • When asked about his previous assignment, he would reply, "The
bunco squad," then continue to repeat the phrase no matter what the questioner said, as if he were a skipping
record. Another running gag involved Yoyo's ability to read an entire book by simply fanning its pages; his invariable comment after doing so was, "Thanks for the book! I really enjoyed reading it." ==Episodes==