According to James Arness, the cancellation caught them by surprise. The cast and crew were expecting the series to go at least another season, possibly as many as three more.
This was the 635th and last original "Gunsmoke" episode.
Media historian Hal Erickson wrote that the episode was "A low-key comic exercise emphasizing Festus, in no way suggesting that a two-decade era was about to come to an abrupt end".