Charles Furneaux, who last appeared in 21 Up (1977), attempted to sue Michael Apted for using his earlier likeness in the film.
By the time this update was made, 12 of the original 14 children were still taking part, with Charles having dropped out at 21, and Peter at 28. Although John had dropped out at 42 he returned for this installment.
Suzanne Dewey, who had frequently voiced her opinion that the series was pointless, once again threatened to make this her last appearance. Nevertheless, she did return for 56 Up (2012).
Michael Apted found that the landscape between 42 Up (1998) and 49 Up (2005) had changed significantly with the advent of reality television.
Paul Kligerman was flown back from Australia so that he could meet up with his childhood friend, Symon Basterfield.