This episode was the culmination of a year and a half search for a workable script after Joe Menosky's original premise, thought up all the way back in the Mexican Staff Retreat of Season 5.
	Michael Piller was originally so excited about the revised story, he was planning on making it the season cliffhanger.
	The original premise had a Vulcan scientist (not tied with anyone on the Enterprise) sending a distress call that he's surrounded by Klingon, Romulan and Ferengi ships. Ron Moore recalls - "Riker beams over into this cramped little tiny shuttle, where everyone's yelling and trying to find things and the guy's dead. And then they zip away and we're off and running with Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. It would have been a lot more comedic."
	This is the first episode to have the all the major Trek humanoids, Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians appear together in the same scene.
	The Yridian's wasp-like ship was designed by Rick Sternbach and built by ILM's John Goodson.
	First appearance of a Cardassian female, and their transporter beam effect.
	In one comedic scene cut for time, Bolarus IX is established as a Federation world, and the Barber Mr. Mott is among those having his DNA sampled by Beverly.
	Ron Moore apparently considered, but intentionally didn't specify, that the DNA coding aliens were the Preservers from classic Trek's "The Paradise Syndrome".
	Salome Jens (Humanoid) is more familiar for her role as recurring character the Female Shapeshifter in spinoff Deep Space Nine.

If you have some more behind the scenes information, send it in.