This was the first credited appearance for Carol Ann Susi in TV or film. She is best remembered for being the obnoxious voice of Howard's mother on The Big Bang Theory (2007).
The character of Francois Edmonds was portrayed by former AFL defensive lineman, Earl "Tree" Faison of The San Diego Chargers. Faison was six foot five and weighed over 260 pounds during his playing years, making him a rather menacing foe in the episode.
Executive Producer Paul Playdon left the series after this episode, allegedly over conflicts with Darren McGavin. Cy Chermak replaced Playdon for the rest of the series as EP.
Carl mistakenly says that Sioux Falls is in Iowa. This seems more like a subtle joke by the writers, rather than a mistake, as many people rarely know where cities are located in middle America. It does seem odd though that Carl, a reasonably knowledgeable reporter in the Midwest (Chicago), doesn't remember that Sioux Falls is located in South Dakota. Most likely he confused it with Sioux City, Iowa.
"The Zombie" is one of only two episodes that recurring actor Jack Grinnage doesn't appear in.