The TV movie, produced by Aaron Spelling, was a ratings hit and propelled Hexum to fame, although he later professed misgivings about it. Speaking to the
Star Tribune in 1984, he said, "It turned out to be a lot more exploitative than I anticipated. I didn't realise how they were going to package the show, how many scenes were going to be shirtless for no apparent reason."
A year later, he lost his life on the set of the TV series
Cover Up, in a tragic accident with a firearm. He was 26.