RHI Entertainment and the Sci Fi Channel spent $20 million in the creation of the "Tin Man" mini-series, with Robert Halmi, Sr. acting as the lead producer. Sci Fi executive Dave Howe said that the companies felt such classic stories as "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" "deserve to be re-imagined for a new generation." The script used for the creation of "Tin Man" reimagined "The Wizard of Oz" by creating new characters and adding elements of science fiction, fantasy, and steampunk to the narrative while making many allusions to the original story.