Unusual for the show at the time, the episode was broadcast on August 27, 1992 rather than May. This was because the Fox network decided to add an extra episode to the season for the summer. As a result, the entire production crew had to work longer hours than usual to be able to finish this episode.
The idea for the Spinemelter 2000 was based on one of the writers, who bought a vibrating chair to relax after working 20 hours a day on the episode.
There was originally a joke in the script that predicted the breakup of the Soviet Union; however, as the Soviet Union already broke up between the writing of the script and the air time, the joke was scrapped.
The decision to dedicate Herb one more episode was made after many viewers were unhappy about the ending of the episode Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? (1991), in which Herb became bankrupt. At the end of that episode, he was going to say "I have an idea!", hinting that he had found a way to regain his fortune.
The scene where Homer first tries out the massage chair references Dave's trip through the Star Gate in 2001: A Space Odyssey.