The episode was dedicated to the memory of Peter Wragg, the BBC Visual Effects Designer who created original spaceship models for Red Dwarf and oversaw the effects for the first seven series.
Gary Cady who played the simulant leader Dominator Zlurth, did not realize he was in a comedy until after the first scene.
This episode's title "The Beginning" mirrors the title of the very first episode of series one, "The End".
The last line of this episode (The Begining) is Rimmer saying "The slime's coming home". The last line of Season 1, Episode 1 (The End) was Lister saying "The slime's coming home".
Only Fools and Horses: Sleeping in Peckham (2003) is considered a possible influence behind Red Dwarf: The Beginning (2012).