The idea of a haunted house sitcom was one of the first concepts the Them There writers developed after Horrible Histories ended, but they initially shelved it because they felt there was 'no jeopardy' to write into it, creating Yonderland instead.

The writers returned to the ghost idea after Yonderland ended, realizing that the boredom of eternity and existential aspects of being a ghost unlocked a 'house-share sitcom' about domestic pettiness rather than high drama stakes.

According to Jim Howick, the character of Alison discovering her aristocratic roots was inspired by the 2016 episode of Who Do You Think You Are? in which EastEnders actor Danny Dyer learned he was related to Edward III of England.

Writer Mathew Baynton said the show was intended as an adult sitcom that would still appeal to older children, in the vein of Blackadder, and cited Tim Burton's Beetlejuice and The Rocky Horror Show as tonal references.

A 7-minute Comic Relief special broadcast on 17 March 2023 guest-starred Kylie Minogue with a cameo from Jason Donovan; Minogue had originally been due to appear in 2022 but had to cancel after contracting COVID-19.

The series is filmed at West Horsley Place in Surrey, a country house that was unexpectedly inherited in 2014 by writer and former University Challenge presenter Bamber Gascoigne from his great-aunt, the Duchess of Roxburghe, in circumstances similar to the show's own plot.

Some scenes were filmed on London Road and Clandon Road in nearby Guildford, and the exterior of the famous Bettys Tea Rooms in Harrogate was rebranded as 'Sandrine's' for the penultimate scene of the series 3 finale.

Jim Howick noted the show's similarity to the 1970s series Rentaghost, though most of the writers were either too young or too old to have watched it growing up.