In the early 1980s Panati was approached by producer Al Masini about turning his latest book, The Browser’s Book of Beginnings (1984), into a weekly TV show.
Lifestyles was created by Alfred M. "Al" Masini, who had also created Solid Gold, Entertainment Tonight, and Star Search; all of these were part of his Operation Prime Time project, which he later renamed Television Program Enterprises and later merged with Rysher Entertainment to form Rysher TPE.