Miss Marple does not appear in Agatha Christie's original novel, which was an adventure featuring her other sleuths, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. In order to make the story part of the Marple series, the time period was moved from post-war to sometime near the end of the war. This conveniently places Tommy still in the military intelligence service abroad, and his part of the story was re-written for Miss Marple.
Although the exact date of the setting of the episode is not given the scenes at the film presentation clearly show signs that celebrate the Festival of Britain which took place in 1951.
Nellie Bly was a famous American journalist at the end of the nineteenth century. Here Nellie Bligh seems to be the village gossip and named after her.
The title of the book comes from Act 4, Scene 1 of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, when the second witch says: "By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.".
June Whitfield, who portrays Mrs Lancaster, played Miss Marple in 12 BBC Radio 4 adaptations of novels by Agatha Christie. She reprised the role in 2015, starring in three adaptations of Miss Marple short stories (Tape-Measure Murder, The Case of the Perfect Maid, and Sanctuary)