The original planned title of this project was "Unbalance", and was subsequently renamed "Ultra Q" mostly due to the word "Ultra" gaining popularity due to the Japanese gymnast Gold Medal recipient in the 1964 Summer Olympics using a technique named "Ultra C". The series began production in 1964, with the premiere set for January 1966. At the time, this was the most expensive television series ever produced in Japan. The "Q" stands for "Question" and also tied with another hit TBS series, "Obake no Q-tarō", an animated series based on the manga by Fujiko Fujio.