Director David Hugh Jones originally wanted to shoot the entire movie on-location in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's home town, but when this proved to be impossible, he had Production Designer Don Homfray design a house based on real Tudor houses associated with Shakespeare. Falstaff's room was based on the home of Mary Arden (Shakespeare's mother) in Wilmcote, and the wives' houses were based on the house of Shakespeare's daughter Susanna, and her husband, John Hall. For the background of exterior shots, he used a miniature Tudor village built of plasticine.
Director David Hugh Jones was determined that the two wives not be clones of one another, so he had them appear as if Page was a well-established member of the bourgeoisie and Ford a member of the nouveau riche.
Part of the long running BBC Television Shakespeare project which ran between 1978 and 1985.