The series is based on Michelle Buteau's autobiographical essays of the same name, and was announced by Netflix on January 24, 2022 as an eight-episode adaptation.

Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, who previously developed The Carmichael Show and co-produced New Girl, served as showrunner as part of a multi-year deal with Netflix.

Ravi Nandan and Alli Reich from A24, along with Anne Hong from Mosaic, joined the production as co-executive producers.

Michelle Buteau was announced as the series lead on the same day the show itself was announced, January 24, 2022.

Tasha Smith, who was recurring in season 1, was promoted to series regular for season 2, while Marouane Zotti was similarly promoted to series regular for the third season.

Linda Mendoza, one of the series' directors, directed the first two episodes of the show.

Principal photography for the first season took place in New York, starting on September 26, 2022 and concluding on November 20, 2022.

The first season received an 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 reviews, and a Metacritic weighted average of 66 out of 100, indicating generally favorable reviews.