In the middle of rehearsals for this show, the cast and crew got the news that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated, in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, November 22nd, 1963. The cast then decided to go ahead and film the show, but without a studio audience present. The feeling was that no one would be in the mood to laugh at such a sombre and saddened time period.
This was the second of two episodes that was not filmed and shot in front of a live audience. The other was The Bad Old Days (1962).
The estimated $100+ price tag for Richie's birthday party would be over $1,000 in modern day money, as of 2024.