The special was first broadcast on May 8, 1987 on CBS and was nominated for Outstanding Animated Program at the 39th Primetime Emmy Awards.

The night to perform arrives and the opening acts turn out to be shoddy, from a trained bird mysteriously dying, to tap-dancing pigeons flying the coop, to a roller-skating bear unable to maintain his balance.

They perform as an Elvis style trio named "Johnny Bop and the Two-Steps" (rather reluctantly, because they did not want Jon involved in their act, as they think he is awful at music).

Garfield at first thinks he will embarrass himself in front of America, but changes his mind when he sees the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and gets lodged at a fancy hotel.

The special ends back home where Garfield finally admits to Jon that it was all for the best that they are home again, as they are on their boat fantasizing about sailing to exotic locations worldwide, which the camera pans out to show it in their backyard and revealing they live in a landlocked part of the country (identified as Muncie, Indiana in their national introduction - this is series creator Jim Davis' hometown).