While It's not specifically stated which network The Larry Sanders Show is on, this episode implies it's ABC when Roseanne mentions Larry would love to get the time slot after her show. "Roseanne" ran from 1988 - 1997 on ABC, and at the time ABC had no late-night comedy talk show.
In one of the many instances of art imitating life, and vice-versa, the plot reflects a real life issue. Series star Garry Shandling had a long-term addiction to painkillers, including Vicodin and Excedrin. According to former girlfriend Linda Doucett (who played Darlene is Seasons 1 and 2) Shandling was abusing prescription medications on a daily basis for about five years during the height of his fame. Shandling's drug problems continued in later life, and it was reported after his death in 2016 that post-mortem tests had found a cocktail of drugs in his system, including codeine, morphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, benzodiazepines and Xanax.