Rickles, who actually served in the Navy during World War II, was already well known for his indiscriminate insult comedy which he used in his stand-up routines and in guest appearances on other TV shows and specials; "C.P.O. Sharkey" was the third TV series that provided him with a regular vehicle for his coarse humor. (Two previous series in which he starred, both eponymously titled "The Don Rickles Show"—one a 1968 variety show, the other a 1972 sitcom—each aired for one season.) Coincidentally, Rickles portrayed a different C.P.O. in the 1961 episode "Professional Sailor" of the CBS military sitcom/drama, "Hennesey", starring Jackie Cooper.