Annika is based on the BBC Radio 4 drama Annika Strandhed, created by and starring the same writer Nick Walker and actress Nicola Walker, in which the character originally worked in the Oslo Police homicide unit.

For the television adaptation, the setting was relocated from Oslo to Glasgow, while the character's Norwegian ancestry and themes were retained.

Principal photography for the series began on 14 December 2020 and ended on 2 April 2021, with filming taking place primarily in Glasgow, along the River Clyde, and in towns in Argyll.

The Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock served as the base for the Marine Homicide Unit, while DI Strandhed's on-screen home was located on the banks of Loch Lomond.

Katie Leung's real-life pregnancy during production was written into the story for her character Blair Ferguson in series 2.

The show's theme music, titled 'Bringing Murder to the Land', was written by Anton Newcombe and Dot Allison.

Annika became Alibi's most-watched drama in at least seven years, with its first episode attracting 410,000 viewers and a 2.5% audience share, the highest-rated programme on the channel since BARB began recording figures in January 2014.

The series received mixed reviews, with The Guardian giving the opening episode 4 stars, the Radio Times and The Killing Times giving 3 stars, while The Telegraph described the show as 'disappointingly pedestrian'.