Co-written by the series' creators Seinfeld and head writer Larry David, the episode is set in real time, without any scene-breaks. It was the first of two episodes in which Jerry's neighbor Kramer (Michael Richards) did not appear (the other being "The Pen"). Considered a "bottle episode", NBC executives objected to its production and broadcast due to its lack of an involved storyline, thinking that audiences would be uninterested. It was not until David threatened to quit if the network forced any major changes upon the script that NBC allowed the episode to be produced, though the network postponed broadcast to the near end of season two.