The series was preceded by five TV movies in 1994 featuring the same major characters, produced as part of Universal Media Studios's Action Pack; the last one, Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur, mostly served as a clip show to lead into the series.

Although set in a fantasy version of ancient Greece, the series was actually filmed in New Zealand, mixing Oriental, Egyptian and Medieval elements into various episodes.

The show was cancelled midway through filming of its sixth season, with only eight episodes produced after Kevin Sorbo initially declined to renew a three-year contract extension to continue playing Hercules.

The series shared several recurring characters and actors with its spin-offs Xena: Warrior Princess and Young Hercules, including Ares (Kevin Smith), Autolycus (Bruce Campbell), Salmoneus (Robert Trebor), Aphrodite (Alexandra Tydings), and Callisto (Hudson Leick).

Both Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and its spin-off Xena: Warrior Princess were produced in New Zealand using mostly local actors who performed with American accents, yet were syndicated worldwide.

The show's success led to the creation of several similar series set in the ancient world, such as The Adventures of Sinbad, Conan the Adventurer, BeastMaster, Tarzan: The Epic Adventures, and Jack of All Trades, as well as the sci-fi series Cleopatra 2525.

A 1998 direct-to-video animated film, Hercules and Xena – The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus, reunited the voices of Kevin Sorbo, Lucy Lawless, Michael Hurst, Renee O'Connor, Kevin Smith, and Alexandra Tydings reprising their roles from both series.

An interactive theme park attraction called Hercules & Xena: Wizards of the Screen was open at Universal Studios from 1997 to 2000, reflecting the franchise's popularity.