• Actor Allusion: In the 2005 film, Will Ferrell's character breaks one leg, then later breaks the other. Mustafa, who Will played in Austin Powers 2, had the same misfortune.
  • Creator Backlash: The subject of sort of a meta-example (in addition to the obvious in-universe example). In season 4 of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mel casts Larry David as Max on Broadway, knowing he's a terrible actor, in the hopes that The Producers will finally die because he's sick of it (see?). The season finale covers the debut performance with Larry in the role, and he starts to falter but manages to turn it around, ensuring the show's continued longevity.
  • Dawson Casting: Lorenzo St. DuBois seems to be a 50 year old hippie, not recent college graduate. (Of course, that could be the point.)
  • Hey, It's That Guy!: In the 2005 movie, Captain Jack Harkness sings "Springtime for Hitler."
  • What Could Have Been: Dustin Hoffman was initially cast as Franz Liebkind in the original film until Mike Nichols cast him as Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate instead.
    • According to Mel Brooks, he only let Hoffman audition for The Graduate because Brooks' wife, Anne Bancroft, was playing Mrs. Robinson in that film. Also, since Benjamin was a blond jock in the book, Brooks thought he'd never get the role.