Nyssa kissing the Doctor on the cheek as she departs was devised by Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton. Originally, they were just going to shake hands.
Peter Davison was against Sarah Sutton leaving, as he felt that Nyssa was the most appropriate companion for his Doctor. John Nathan-Turner felt that the character had run her course.
This episode was watched by 7.4 million viewers on its original transmission.