Among the derelicts in the asteroid field are models of the Narcissus escape shuttle from Alien (1979), the Eagle from Space: 1999 (1975) and a Klingon Vor'cha attack cruiser from Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987).
The fifth series saw a large increase in viewers, so the BBC requested that the sixth series open with a special "introductory" episode for new viewers. This was eventually achieved with a five-minute opening sequence in which Lister, suffering from amnesia, is reminded of the key elements of the series by Kryten.
For the close up shot of Psiren Lister playing the guitar, the producers tried to get Brian May, then boyfriend of Anita Dobson who played Captain Tau. May did not think his hands looked enough like Craig Charles' so Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music was used instead.
Production on the seventh series was delayed by three years, while actor Craig Charles fought rape allegations. He was later found not guilty. During this time, the episode was taken out of the run of repeats because of numerous sexual references to his character Lister.
Craig Charles had been complaining to Doug Naylor that he had no romantic liaisons recently in the show, especially since in the former series Chris Barrie had been smothered in oil by two temptresses (Terrorform (1992)) and even gotten a girlfriend at one point (Holoship (1992)). Naylor got fed up with these complaints and so deliberately wrote in the disgusting Lister-Psiren snog. Nevertheless, the complaints from Charles continued, and despite Lister seeing some action in later episodes (Gunmen of the Apocalypse (1993), Stoke Me a Clipper (1997)), the gay snog between Lister and Rimmer in episode Blue (1997) of the next series was written in for the same reason of Naylor getting fed up with Charles's complaints.
Anita Dobson: as Captain Tau, which came about came as a result of her boyfriend (later husband) Brian May being approached to provide Lister's hands for his guitar solo. Although May wasn't available, Dobson agreed to play Tau when the possibility was mentioned to her. Rob Grant and Doug Naylor later stated that had they known that Dobson was willing and available they would have written a more substantial part for her.
Clare Grogan: as Kochanski for the first time since Stasis Leak (1988) in Series II, although arguably this is not the real Kochanski as it is an hallucination. This was the final time Grogan appeared As the character introduced in Series I. When Kochanski next appears in Series VII, she is played by another actress, Chloë Annett, and is, effectively, a completely new character.
Jenny Agutter: as Kryten's creator, Professor Mamet, or rather a Psiren posing as such. She is somewhat analogous to Doctor Noonien Soong in Star Trek the Next Generation who developed the android Data.