The way of speaking used by the three stand-ups (as played by Tom Hanks, Jon Lovitz and Damon Wayans) was inspired by young stand-up comedian named Jerry Seinfeld. In Dana Carvey and David Spade's 2022 "Fly on the Wall" podcast, Tom Hanks recounts that writer wanted to include Seinfeld's stand-up routine about socks, but Dennis Miller objected, feeling that they could not steal part of Seinfeld's act. They ended up calling Seinfeld, who gave them permission to use the joke as he had already retired it from his routine.
In the background during the 'Observational Stand-ups' sketch there are posters for "Carol's is Comedy" featuring former SNL cast members Gilbert Gottfried and Don Novello (as Father Guido Sarducci). Also pictured and identified by name are this show's special guest Steven Wright as well as Norm Crosby, Jay Johnson, Glenn Hirsch, Jerry Seinfeld (who is being parodied during the sketch), Jay Leno (who would host later this season), George Wallace and Sandra Bernhard.
The sketch in which Tom Hanks's character tells his wife he fantasizes about her death was written by Carol Leifer and Al Franken. In the oral history book "Live from New York", Leifer recounts that this sketch went through the read-through of every male-hosted show of season 11 and was never chosen to air until Tom Hanks/Sade (1985) hosted and made it work.
This episode opens with an entirely new opening montage, this will be the standard opening for the rest of the season.
Anthony Michael Hall appears only in a prerecorded cameo because he was filming Out of Bounds (1986) at the time.