The series is based on novels by American writer Elizabeth George, though only all episodes from the first two series and two from the third series are actually based on her novels, with plots and characters often significantly altered.

The first eleven episodes were named after and based on the eleven Inspector Lynley novels published between 1988 and 2001, though not broadcast in their original published sequence.

Later episodes moved away from adapting George's novels and became original stories for television written using her characters, after initial adaptations by Lizzie Mickery.

In August 2007 the BBC announced it would stop production of the series; fans launched a petition and campaign to save it, but this was unsuccessful.

The pilot episode 'A Great Deliverance' was the only two-part episode of the entire series run, airing on 12 and 13 March 2001.

Exterior shots of Lynley and Havers' police base were filmed at the Bircham Dyson Bell solicitors offices on Broadway in central London.

The first episode of series five was notably filmed in Dungeness, Kent.

Lynley drove different cars across the series: a Peugeot 607 in the pilot, a Jensen Interceptor in series one and two, and a Bristol 410 in later episodes; despite Diana Rigg's recurring PBS Mystery! introduction claiming he 'is the one with the Bentley,' he never actually drove a Bentley on screen, unlike in the novels.

The character of Helen Clyde/Helen Lynley was played by three different actresses over the course of the series: Emma Fielding in the pilot, Lesley Vickerage from series one to three (becoming Helen Lynley after her character married Lynley in series three), and Catherine Russell in series five.

Two episodes, 'Limbo' and 'Know Thine Enemy,' had their BBC One broadcast postponed from their original scheduled dates in August 2007; they instead premiered first on BBC Entertainment in November 2007 before finally airing on BBC One in May and June 2008.

A 2025 reboot titled 'Lynley' began streaming on BritBox, written by Steve Thompson and directed by Ed Bazalgette, starring Leo Suter as Lynley and Sofia Barclay as Havers, with its first series comprising four 90-minute episodes.