The series is known for its frequent cameos by Hollywood celebrities and the occasional in-joke referring to Majors' previous starring role in the series The Six Million Dollar Man (the pilot featured a cameo appearance by his ex-wife Farrah Fawcett). Colt's voice-over narration was dropped from the second season onward. In the course of dealing with the villains, Seavers performs a stunt similar to the one shown at the beginning of the show. His case turns out to be more complicated than it first seemed.
After the voice-over introduction, the crew is seen performing a stunt for a film or TV series when Seavers is then assigned to finding, for example, a man who has skipped bail.
This is intercut with actual Hollywood stock footage, from various eras, of dangerous movie stunts, such as an exploding plane plunging straight into the ground, or a motorcycle jumping through a flaming hoop. Typically, an episode begins with a voice-over introduction from Majors (as Seavers) explaining the precarious life of a Hollywood stuntman, and how he, Colt, is unable to make a full-time living from stunt work and must moonlight as a bounty hunter. He is accompanied by his cousin and stuntman-in-training Howie Munson (Barr), whom Colt frequently calls "Kid", and occasionally by fellow stunt performer Jody Banks (Thomas). He uses his physical skills and knowledge of stunt effects (especially stunts involving cars or his large GMC pickup truck) to capture fugitives and criminals. Lee Majors plays Colt Seavers, a Hollywood stunt man who moonlights as a bounty hunter.