Dirt was created by Matthew Carnahan and produced by Coquette Productions in association with ABC Studios, and it was the ninth drama series pilot shot for FX.

Production on the pilot began in Los Angeles in March 2006, but it was later reshot to include a cameo by David Fincher and to add more of Courteney Cox's character before full series production began in September 2006.

The second season was originally ordered for 13 episodes, but only 7 were written and shot (wrapping in December 2007) before the 2007 WGA strike halted production; afterward FX chose not to produce the remaining 6 episodes for economic reasons.

Courteney Cox and her then-husband David Arquette served as executive producers on the series in addition to Cox starring as Lucy Spiller.

Jennifer Aniston, a close friend of Courteney Cox, appeared as recurring rival magazine editor Tina Harrod, though the character had only one on-screen appearance despite being mentioned throughout the first season.

Season two was moved to a more competitive Sunday 10 P.M. timeslot and, despite heavy promotion, only drew about 1.7 million viewers for its premiere, with ratings eventually dropping to just 0.2 million for the finale.

Critical reception improved between seasons, with the first season earning a C- from Entertainment Weekly while the second season received a B-, and outlets like TV Guide and the Associated Press praised it as 'trashy, flashy, and ridiculously addictive' and 'dog-eat-dog fun.'