The show won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program after it had been canceled.
The tune that plays in the background after the opening credits by Dweezil Zappa is an alternate version of the instrumental track "Groove Holmes" by the Beastie Boys, from their 1992 album "Check Your Head." Ben Stiller is a noted fan of the Beastie Boys.
In college, playwright Jenelle Riley wrote her graduate thesis on The Ben Stiller Show's effect on comedy.