The science fiction justification for Lyra-a (Mariette Hartley) and other Tyranians having two navels is that they have redundant circulatory systems. However, Gene Roddenberry joked that the behind-the-scenes reason was to make up for the covered navels mandated by network and studio censors during the production of Star Trek (1966).
The name of the main character, Dylan Hunt, is the same as the main character in another Gene Roddenberry television movie, Planète terre (1974). Many years later, the name was given to the main character in the Roddenberry-created series Andromeda (2000).
The film takes place in 1979 and 2133.
Dylan Hunt is awakened from suspended animation - this theme was a plot similar to the original Star Trek episode "Space Seed" (which introduced Khan Noonien Singh). Several of the cast members were guest stars on Star Trek.