Charles Grodin became friends with Art Garfunkel when both worked on Catch-22 (1970). Shortly thereafter, Garfunkel introduced Grodin to Paul Simon, who also became a friend. This led the musical duo to ask Grodin to develop and direct their first television special.
In his 1989 autobiography "It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here...", Charles Grodin recounts the production of this television special, which featured a strong anti-Vietnam war message. He reveals that sponsor AT&T removed its name from the show and that it had never been rerun.