Richard Wilson initially turned down the role because he thought he was too young to play a 60-year-old character, as he was only 53 when the series was first broadcast. It was almost offered to comedian Les Dawson before Wilson changed his mind.
David Renwick would first think of the most ridiculous circumstances Victor would find himself in and then work backwards, explaining the events leading to the final moments of the episode.
While their characters hated each other, Richard Wilson and Angus Deayton are good friends. Wilson was even godfather to Deayton's son.
Richard Wilson dislikes saying his character's catchphrase ("I don't believe it!") and only performs the line for charity events for a small fee.
A number of complaints were made during the series' run for its depiction of animal deaths. For example, in The Valley of Fear (1990), a dead cat is found in the Meldrews' freezer; in another, a tortoise is roasted in a brazier. The programme was censured, however, for a scene in Hearts of Darkness (1993) in which an elderly resident is abused in an old people's home, and following complaints, the scene was slightly cut when the episode was repeated. In the DVD commentary for the episode, David Renwick stated his continued opposition to the cuts. Another controversial scene in Tales of Terror (2000) saw the Meldrews visit Ronnie and Mildred on the understanding that Mildred had gone upstairs during a game of Happy Families and not returned; Ronnie then shows her feet hanging outside of the window, revealing that she has committed suicide. The Broadcasting Standards Commission received complaints about this scene.