Shortly before filming began, Roger Lloyd Pack broke his ankle in a fall down a flight of stairs. Fortunately, the Lumic role had already been scripted as being entirely wheelchair-bound, meaning that Lloyd Pack's injury would not interfere with his performance.
According to Russell T. Davies, the fact that Jackie has her 40th birthday was a deliberate, if obscure, reference to the fact that Rise of the Cybermen aired in the 40th anniversary year of The Tenth Planet: Episode 1 (1966).
Torchwood References: The newscast on Rose's phone references a study released by "the Torchwood Institute" immediately after the story on Lumic's return; Pete Tyler asks a guest "How're things going at Torchwood?"
Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel (2006) were inspired by Spare Parts, a story featuring the fifth Doctor discovering the origins of the Cybermen, by Marc Platt, produced by Big Finish Productions. Marc Platt receives a 'With Thanks' on the end credits.
Roger Lloyd Pack and David Tennant previously appeared as father Barty Crouch and son Barty Crouch Jr. (respectively) in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005). In that story, Lloyd-Pack was on the side of the heroes and Tennant was a villain.