The title is based on the line "pretty maids all in a row" from the nursery rhyme "Mary Mary Quite Contrary".
During Kris and Kelly's talent segments, Kris pretends to mess up, but it's part of her act, whereas Jaclyn Smith had previously taken ballet lessons, but her form was all wrong during Kelly's dance performance.
Denise DuBarry (one of the unnamed contestants) later appears as a different character in season five's Waikiki Angels (1981).