Upon its broadcast, the film was met with wide acclaim. It scored three Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Comedy/Drama Special and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special (Farrah Fawcett).[1] It was also awarded a Peabody Award, which cited the high quality of Fawcett's performance: "This terrifying true story, based on Ann Rule’s best-selling book, marked a high point in television drama for 1989.