In later interviews, Riders In The Sky stated that they believed this show failed because they didn't write it. The Riders previous television series, Tumbleweed Theater (which was written by the Riders themselves), had lasted five seasons.
According to Riders In The Sky's book "It's The Cowboy Way: The Amazing True Adventures of Riders In The Sky", the show was originally pitched as a sitcom where the Riders move from a western town to Hollywood.
Riders In The Sky released a tie-in album a few months before the show premiered titled Harmony Ranch.
According to creator George McGrath, originally, the "Gila Monster" cartoon was supposed to show a real-life gila monster, itself, in an attempt for them to "run for their lives," when it actually showed a real-life iguana. The reason is it had something to do with McGraff's staff, who did the best they could to find a dangerous lizard to scare the characters off, when, the iguana was the only one to tolerate the viewers.
All of the Gila Monster cartoons were created by George McGrath, and they were also filmed at Olive Jar Studios in Boston, Massachusetts.