The creators originally conceived the series around a mentor-protégée relationship between two powerful women without initially setting it in the legal world, but felt the legal arena naturally included women who commanded power and influence.

The concept was inspired by the creators' own interactions with their superiors and experiences in the entertainment industry, and co-creator Todd Kessler saw the Patty-Ellen dynamic as universal rather than specifically a female story.

FX network president John Landgraf suggested Glenn Close for the role of Patty Hewes after she had expressed interest in leading another show set in New York City following her work on The Shield; she accepted after a three-hour meeting with the creators.

Ted Danson was cast as Arthur Frobisher partly because of his role in The Onion Field, and he prepared by studying the Enron collapse through documentaries like The Smartest Guys in the Room and consulting Glenn Close's acting coach, Harold Guskin.

Rose Byrne was initially unavailable to audition because she was filming 28 Weeks Later, but got the part later when the role of Ellen Parsons had not yet been cast.

Noah Bean said he gave a poor first audition for the role of David Connor but managed to secure the part after impressing the casting team during a second chance encounter while waiting for an elevator.

Producers were initially hesitant to cast British actress Anastasia Griffith as Katie Connor since Rose Byrne, an Australian, was already playing an American lead, but Griffith won them over by speaking in an American accent throughout a follow-up meeting.

Lily Tomlin's casting as Marilyn Tobin came about because she was a fan of the show and, upon meeting creator Todd Kessler at an art exhibit, interrogated him about upcoming plot twists, leading him to later cast her.

Chris Messina initially refused to audition for roles playing a Republican or a lawyer, having been typecast that way before, so producers instead offered him the role of PTSD-afflicted veteran Chris Sanchez, for which he prepared by staying awake and drinking energy drinks before scenes.

Ryan Phillippe was not initially interested in joining Damages, but changed his mind after learning his character, Channing McClaren, was modeled after WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a figure he found fascinating.

Janet McTeer was cast as Kate Franklin after becoming close friends with Glenn Close while filming Albert Nobbs, with Close helping arrange the role for her.

Season one's plot was inspired by real corporate scandals, most notably the 2001 Enron scandal, while season two drew on the 2001 California energy crisis and environmental mining cases, with environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advising the writers.

Season three was largely based on the 2009 Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme scandal, season four was inspired by the Blackwater Security Consulting controversy, and season five's storyline drew on WikiLeaks and Julian Assange.

The title sequence, set to The VLA's song 'When I Am Through with You,' features New York City public sculptures including The Glory of Commerce, Civic Fame, and Asia, along with a George Washington quote inscribed on the New York County Courthouse.

After low ratings and rising costs threatened to end the series after season three, Sony struck a deal with DirecTV's Audience Network to share production costs, allowing the show to continue for two more seasons starting in 2011.

Glenn Close said she always felt Damages was 'kind of a tricky fit for FX,' describing the network as 'testosterone-laden' due to its association with The Shield, making her show feel off-brand for them.