D C Fontana's original episode outline involved a being captured by a simian race known as the Annoi. The captors built an orbiting gun platform around the alien, intending to us it to fuel their dreams of expansion, while feeding their prisoner just enough of the mineral balmine to keep it alive. The outline also involves a starship - the USS Starseeker coming to aid the Enterprise and later being destroyed. Troi was to play a key part in convincing the captive enttiy to rebel against the Annoi. (source: Star Trek - The Next Generation Companion)
	The Q subplot was added because the studio wanted a two-hour pilot, and not just a one-hour.
	An original scene cut out involves Riker meeting La Forge for the first time and benig introduced to an ensign who makes a passing comment about Picard being like a 'burrhog'.
	TNG and Deep Space Nine regular O'Brien first appears in this episode as the Conn officer on the battle bridge.
	The Holodeck park scene was shot in Griffith Park, Los Angeles.
	Robert Justman and Edward Milkis went to retrieve stored sets from the Star Trek feature films for use on TNG. When they got to them, they discovered that the sets had been soiled by cats using them as homes.
	The character of Worf was a last minute addition to the episode and cast. Gene Roddenberry thought having a Klingon character would seem like a retread of having an alien lead like Spock in The Original Series. Robert Justman pushed for the inclusion, and got his way.
	The diamond-shaped chrome shelf unit in the Farpoint Station Mall set comes from Kirk's apartment in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
	Q's military uniform, which is that of a Marine Corps Colonel, has the identical rank, ribbons, and badges of Lt. Col. Oliver North, when he testified at the Iran-Contra hearings, shortly before this went into production.
	Parts of Groppler Zorn's office were constructed from the Klingon Bird of Prey sickbay set from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and the Enterprise Reactor Room from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

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