It was one of several Potter serials (another being The Singing Detective) to mix the reality of the drama with a dark fantasy content, and the earliest of his works where the characters burst into extended performances of popular songs.

[8] In temporary remission from his chronic condition of psoriatic arthropathy, a rare skin and joints disease that first afflicted him at the age of 24, Potter and his wife Margaret were able to visit the location shoot in Dean.

[12] Potter's memorial service in November 1994 at St James's Church in Piccadilly began with those in attendance singing "Roll Along Prairie Moon" to the accompaniment of a jazz quintet.

In a comic interlude Michael Grade, chief executive of Channel 4, Alan Yentob, controller of BBC1, and Kenith Trodd, Potter's producer, read a scene from Pennies.

[10][17][14][18] MGM required Potter to buy back his copyright from the BBC (who demanded $100,000 plus half of any profits he would make from the film); the deal prevented broadcast of the original production of Pennies for approximately ten years.

[19] In 1989, the BBC was able to buy back the rights from MGM for what Trodd called 'a very inconsiderable sum', and rebroadcast Pennies in a six-week run beginning February 1990.