Adjusted for inflation, the $928 phone bill would equal approximately $8,710 in the year 2023.
The title is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.
As a way of telling Mr. Douglas that Mrs. Douglas made a valid point about her husband's farming skills at the expense of Mr. Douglas, Eb says 'Touchee', a mispronunciation of the French term touché, pronounced 'too CHAY' that derives from sword fighting, i.e. fencing, when a hit is made by an opponent.
Haney tries to disconnect Oliver's phone because he hasn't paid his bill in six months. His bill comes to $928. The monthly charge is $2.85; the rest is from calls Lisa made to foreign countries.
This is the first of 15 appearances Robert Foulk makes in the series. In his first 11 appearances, he plays Hooterville farmer Roy Trendell; in his last four appearances, all in season six, he also plays a farmer, but farmer Wheeler, the father of Eb's girlfriend Darlene.