At the time this movie was being made Jim Backus was suffering from Parkinson's disease thus preventing him from being in the movie. Originally his character was written out of the storyline but at the last minute Backus felt well enough to make a small cameo at the end of the movie.
Originally written as a vehicle for the famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the film was retooled for the Harlem Globetrotters when the Cheerleaders were unavailable.
According to both Sherwood Schwartz and Dawn Wells, It was a very emotional day on set when Jim Backus filmed his brief scene. He was thin and very shaky, but he still dominated his character and few lines, as before. After Backus finished filming, he asked Dawn if he was funny, and she assured him that he was, but it broke her heart to see how poor his condition was to not be able to tell. As Backus left with his wife and caretaker, there was an emotional round of applause for him, from the cast and crew, most of whom were openly crying. Backus, also in tears, stopped and responded by blowing kisses, before leaving.
Russell Johnson and director Peter Baldwin had previously starred together in The Outer Limits episode "Specimen Unknown."