Jim Henson's company had produced a previous pilot in 1962 -- Tales of the Tinkerdee, a fast-paced puppet show with many sets and a complicated narrative. That show wasn't picked up, and the 1964 version was a much simpler and more conventional puppet show. Ten plot outlines were written, and Jerry Juhl wrote several full scripts. The pilot was taped on August 9, 1964. Though The Land of Tinkerdee wasn't picked up as a series, King Goshposh and Rufus later appeared in the 1970 special Hey Cinderella!