For UK broadcast and home video release, the order in which this episode appeared was swapped with The Night Ghoul of Wonderworld (1979).
An episode inspired by the science fiction and UFO popularity of the late 70s. The title and the police chasing aliens story line are a reference to Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), as well as the setting featuring starry skies, dark, desolate roads and a police chase on a dark, winding road. Shaggy also makes a reference to 'Luke Skywalker' which refers to the hugely popular Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).