The TV series is a half-hour, single-camera sitcom developed by Carter Covington, a self-professed fan of the 1999 film, and is based on that movie which itself adapts Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

ABC Family green-lit the pilot in October 2008, and after casting was announced in November 2008, the network ordered 9 additional episodes in February 2009 following the pilot's success.

Larry Miller reprised his film role as the overprotective father Walter Stratford in the TV series, providing a direct link between the movie and the show.

Gil Junger, who directed the original 1999 film, also directed the pilot and served as series consultant, ultimately directing 12 of the show's 20 produced episodes.

The pilot was shot at a real high school in Tujunga, California, but due to budget constraints, subsequent episodes were filmed on a soundstage in Santa Clarita, California, with only occasional exterior shots in Tujunga.

Richard Gibbs, who composed the original music for the 1999 film, also wrote the theme music for the TV pilot.

A cover of Cheap Trick's 'I Want You to Want Me' — previously covered for the film by Letters to Cleo — was recorded by the band KSM, and a music video was shot featuring cast members alongside KSM.

The series premiere drew 1.60 million viewers, which was a record at the time for a 30-minute comedy debut on the ABC Family network.