Henson described the segment in the original pitch reel for The Jim Henson Hour (using clips from the Inner Tube pilot for visuals) calling Lead-Free TV "The Muppet Show from the future," full of special effects, rock music, fast-paced comedy and human guest stars. The concept was further explained in Jim Henson: The Biography: Henson believed the Lead-Free TV concept was an ideal format for satirizing cable television. However, like with the Inner Tube pilot, the writing remained a problem. Henson rejected a script called Pirate TV in 1988 for being too "nasty."