The opening title card reads: ''This is a work of historical fiction but a lot of the really bad history actually happened.''
This production originally had the series title of ''Fallout'' which was the name of the last and most recent 'Mission Impossible' movie [See: 'Mission: Impossible - Fallout' (2018)].
Sally Caplan, Head of Content at Screen Australia, said in 2019: "Delving into a unique chapter of Australia's history, this is an important and compelling Australian drama with local and international appeal. Peter Duncan, Vincent Sheehan and Tanya Phegan are creatives at the top of their game, and we're thrilled to see this trio combining their talents for the first time. I can't wait to see the team bring this exciting thriller to ABC prime-time audiences."
Amanda Duthie, 2019 South Australian Film Corporation Acting CEO, said in 2019: "We thank and acknowledge the Maralinga Tjarutja community for welcoming this production into Country. Their collaboration with the creative team will enable a highly distinctive project."
Elizabeth W. Scott, Create NSW (New South Wales) Executive Director, Investment & Engagement, said in 2019: "Blending thriller, political satire and biting black comedy with a star-studded cast, 'Fallout' [now 'Operation Buffalo'] is set to be one of the most memorable series we'll see on TV next year. Writer-director Peter Duncan and producers Tanya Phegan and Vincent Sheehan will grip audiences at home and internationally with a story that ignites the unthinkable 1950s British nuclear testing in Maralinga, outback South Australia, in a new take on a disturbing historical event."