Director John Schlesinger had to pay for the blow-up from 16mm to 35mm, because neither the BBC, nor Thames Television, who owned the overseas rights, thought the movie would work in the theater, and therefore would not waste their money on the print. It was the fifth highest-earning British movie released in U.S. theaters that year.
The Jane Austen quote - "What a pleasant life may be had in this world by a handsome, sensible old lady of good fortune blessed with a sound constitution and a firm will." - is fictitious, and not from any Jane Austen book or other writing. It is probably included in order to demonstrate the sanctimoniousness of Mybug (Stephen Fry), a know-it-all who aims to appear intelligent at all times, but is frequently proved wrong.
The quotes from Flora's (Kate Beckinsale's) novel-in-progress are abridged from the original novel of Cold Comfort Farm. Most of them are from sections that the author playfully wrote to be over-florid and wordy.
Originally made for British television, this received a theatrical release in the U.S. This was sufficiently well received to subsequently secure the movie a cinema release in the U.K.
Though made for television, this movie was released to theaters.