James Garner was an American actor, winner of Emmy and Golden Globe awards. Garner made his big-screen debut in the film The Unknown (1956), then starred alongside Marlon Brando in Sayonara (1957) and quickly gained a reputation as one of the talented actors. In 1957, Garner got the role of Brett Maverick, a professional thief, in the comedy western Maverick. No one expected such a stunning success of the series. Seven seasons were filmed before Warner Brothers decided to launch another project with Brett Maverick's brother, Bart, played by Jack Kelly.

Clint Eastwood appeared in one of the episodes of the series. Critics spoke very favorably of Garner's performance, but he had to leave the series due to disagreements with the company. The studio tried to replace the main character with his cousin, played by Roger Moore, and later with Robert Colbert made up to look like James Garner. However, the series' ratings began to steadily decline.