The canal scene was shot at the Goyt Aqueduct in Marple, Cheshire. It is the highest canal aqueduct in England.
Leigh Lawson as of 2010 has gone on record and said the main reasons for him not continuing into a third series were artistic. He was not happy with the fact it was being filmed on video, which it has to be said, does degrade sound and visual quality significantly in certain scenes. He also stated he was against one of the central story arcs being brought to a conclusion too early - namely the search for Lomax's son, Steve.
A further run of thirteen episodes was commissioned, but Leigh Lawson chose to leave, following an earlier disagreement with Granada, which had refused to release him from his contract to take the lead role in Piratas (1986). Consequently, the cliffhanger ending of the final episode of series 2, which was intended to lead into series 3, had to be resolved with a brief voiceover on the closing credits by Terry Taplin.
The series was originally meant as a vehicle for John Thaw. Following a two year delay in getting a green light for the series, he was no longer available.