Creator Ian Mackintosh was developing the next season of Sandbaggers at the time of his disappearance. According to actor Ray Lonnen, MacKintosh was considering having the character Willie Caine promoted to D-Ops, while Neil Burnside (played by Roy Marsden) would move up to "C" (head of S.I.S.). However, after MacKintosh's (apparent) death, the producers decided to end the series because they felt no one could write Sandbaggers as well as MacKintosh.