The series features one of the final performances of Diana Rigg, who died in September 2020, before the show premiered.

The 2020 miniseries is based on the same 1939 Rumer Godden novel that was previously adapted into the acclaimed 1947 film Black Narcissus starring Deborah Kerr as Sister Clodagh.

Filming began in October 2019 and took place on location in Jomsom, Nepal, as well as at Pinewood Studios in England.

The drama was a co-production between the BBC and FX, starring Alessandro Nivola and Gemma Arterton, written by Amanda Coe and directed entirely by Charlotte Bruus Christensen.

The series premiered on FX in the US on November 23, 2020, and later on BBC One in the UK on December 27, 2020, before reaching international audiences via Disney+'s Star hub on March 5, 2021.

Critics noted the series struggled to escape the shadow of its 1947 cinematic predecessor, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 53% approval rating and Metacritic a score of 66/100.