At the time this episode was filmed (November 17, 1966), NASA's Lunar Orbiter 1 robotic spacecraft had just taken and transmitted photographic data from the Moon (from August 18 to 29), totaling 42 high-resolution and 187 medium-resolution frames. The mission was designed primarily to photograph smooth areas of the lunar surface for selection and verification of safe landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo missions.
The title is using the expression 'Man in the Moon', which refers to any of several image shapes of a human face, head or body that certain traditions recognize in the disc of the full moon. The images are composed of the dark areas of the lunar "seas" and the lighter highlands of the lunar surface.
The plot of this episode reminds us that back in the early 1960s, most large retail stores were closed on Sunday. In fact, "blue laws" in many states made it illegal for most retail stores to remain open on Sundays, due to the fact that Sunday was the Christian Sabbath which was supposed to be a day of rest. That was also true in the UK and some European countries. Things begin to change in the late 1960s, and by the 1980s most major stores remained open on Sundays, albeit often with shorter hours.
Some areas still have "Blue laws" - for example, Bergen County in NJ still prohibits selling non-essential items on Sunday, which forces many stores to close.
Some areas still have "Blue laws" - for example, Bergen County in NJ still prohibits selling non-essential items on Sunday, which forces many stores to close.
At one point, when Samantha and Darrin are arguing on the stairs about whether or not Sam went to the moon, Sam says "One of these days ..." in homage to the classic Jackie Gleason sitcom, The Honeymooners (1955), wherein his character, Ralph Kramden, would frequently threaten to send his wife Alice to the moon "one of these days".