The series is loosely inspired by the real-life murders of trade unionist Keith Frogson and hairdresser Chanel Taylor, which took place in Nottinghamshire in July 2004.

Creator and writer James Graham set the story in a Nottinghamshire mining village, exploring divisions and tensions that persisted long after the 1984–85 miners' strike.

The series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on 25 August 2024, and a third series was announced in September 2024.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the first series holds a 100% approval rating based on 16 reviews with an average score of 8.9/10.

The Telegraph gave the series five stars, calling it 'the best BBC drama of the year so far.'

The first episode was watched 4,855,000 times on BBC iPlayer during 2022, making it the 9th most viewed individual programme on the platform that year.

Several actors, including Robert Glenister and Lindsay Duncan, returned for the third series after appearing in the first, despite the show's evolving cast across seasons.