In early drafts, Amanda was named Samantha, an in-joke relating to the character from the sitcom Bewitched (1964). Upon catching onto it after several drafts, Rick Berman had the name changed.
The premise for this episode came from a script written and submitted by Matthew Corey, who was 17 years old at the time.
Originally titled "Q Me?"
In the premise submitted by Matthew Corey, Amanda was a male. This was in hopes that Corey himself would be cast for the part.
Doctor Beverly Crusher debuts a new hairstyle here which she keeps for the rest of the series. Gone is the long, curly wig, replaced by actress Gates McFadden's own straight, shorter hair. This is the first time since the first season where she hasn't worn a hairpiece, with the possible exception of Season 3's The Enemy (1989).