Jaclyn Smith sheds her "prim and proper" image for the first time to play a "vulgar" Kelly in her first scene meeting the con-artist. Even when she had undercover-approached the pornographer in "Dirty Business", with a very "forward' proposal, telling him she would "do anything" for a part in a movie, Jaclyn had played her usual classy Kelly. Here, she finally puts in a performance, playing quite a different character---albeit, for only one scene.
The "Angels con a con man" plot is reminiscent of Charlie's Angels: The Big Tap-Out (1977). Season 4 ratings plummeted due to repeating plots from previously aired titles, and because most storylines revolved around Kris, to the point of viewer fatigue. Some uninformed fans of the angel she replaced blamed newcomer angel Tiffany, but it simply was because Edward J. Lakso strongly disliked Shelley Hack, due to behind the scenes politics and his dalliance with Cheryl Ladd, who was equally antagonistic towards the newly-cast and statuesque blonde beauty.
The premise from this title was the direct inspiration for Leverage (2008), a series revolving around the "con" concept.
The title comes from the expression used to start an event, "One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready and four to go".
Lee Terri (Prof. McKendrick) previously appeared as different characters in season two's Game, Set, Death (1978) and season three's Angel on High (1978), and later in season five's He Married an Angel (1981).