This episode's title is an allusion to a famous quotation by Benjamin Disraeli: "I have climbed to the top of the greasy pole". In Disraeli's case, it referred to achieving high political office (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) whilst being of Jewish parentage.
Jerome Willis, who plays Professor Henderson, later appears as Hacker's party chairman in Yes Prime Minister.
The last filmed insert for this episode, (news report), was shot at the BBC's Film & VT Library which was, at that time, based in Windmill Road, Brentford, London.
Hacker's response to Humphrey's inquiry as to why he must climb the greasy pole, "Because it's there!" is a reference to famed British climber George Mallory's answer to a journalist in 1924 asking why he wanted to climb Mount Everest. Mallory and his climbing partner subsequently perished during their Everest expedition.
Due to the very specific nature of underlying elements of this episode, it is extremely likely to be withdrawn from broadcast in light of similar events in the news.