This show was telecast live in color from a CBS studio in Los Angeles. Only the East Coast saw it in color. Other time zones saw a black and white kinescope, most of which survives today.
This special won its time slot with over 40 million viewers, justifying the whopping $300,000 cost of the show. Judy Garland's salary was $100,000.
Although the special was telecast live, some of the songs were pre-recorded and Judy lip-synced them on the air.
This was the first TV special to have what amounted to a "soundtrack album", since most of the songs on the Capitol recording "Miss Show Business", released two days after the broadcast, were what Judy had sung on this special.
Judy was also to sing "The Man That Got Away" but it was cut from the rundown before airtime.