 The film was directed, co-produced and co-written by Norman Lear and is based on the unpublished novel "I'm Giving Them Up for Good" by Margaret and Neil Rau.The film was made in 1969, but was shelved for two years by the distributor due to concerns about its box-office potential.A musical theatre version of "Cold Turkey" was workshopped at the Village Theatre in Issaquah, Washington, in February 2005.