The final scenes of this soap opera were strongly inspired by the final scenes of Casablanca (1942).
The series was green-lit by the government 10 years after its intended original release, blocked by the Brazilian military regime. After production re-started, Betty Faria and Francisco Cuoco dropped out of their roles, which were recast with José Wilker and Regina Duarte.
Sonia Braga, Vera Fischer, Marília Pêra, and Fernanda Montenegro were all considered for the Porcina's role which went to Regina Duarte.
To this day the series holds the record for the highest-rated episode in a Rede Globo series.
Forced by piracy, Rede Globo released in 2010 a 25th-anniversary special edition on DVD in 16 discs. Legally, it is the first Brazilian soap opera to be released as such.