Jason Bateman played Ricky's best friend Derek Taylor for the first two seasons before being replaced by Alfonso Ribeiro, who joined as Alfonso Spears from season three onward.

John Houseman played the disapproving patriarch Grandfather Edward Stratton II throughout the series' run.

The show's theme song 'Together' was written by Rik Howard and Bob Wirth, with the original version featuring vocals by Ron Dante over mostly guitar accompaniment.

The theme song went through three versions during the show's run: the original guitar-based version, a synthesized version in 1985 with a different vocalist, and a rock version introduced in January 1986 composed by Ray Colcord, again featuring Ron Dante's vocals.

Although the series was set on fictional Mockingbird Lane in Shallow Springs, Long Island, the Tudor-style mansion shown in the opening credits is actually Compton Wynyates, a private residence in Warwickshire, England, built in 1481.

The mansion used for the opening credits had previously appeared in the 1977 Disney film Candleshoe, starring Helen Hayes, Jodie Foster and David Niven.

The series aired in France under the title 'Ricky ou la Belle Vie' as part of a Christmas programming block called 'Destination Noël' starting December 21, 1984, before later airing as 'Ricky la Belle Vie' on TF1's 'Croque-vacances' block.

In Italy, the show aired on Canale 5 and Italia 1 under the title 'Il mio amico Ricky' (My Friend Ricky) in 1984.