The show was created by Chris Elliott, Adam Resnick, and David Mirkin; Elliott and Resnick were both writers for Late Night with David Letterman, while Mirkin had been showrunner for Newhart and later for The Simpsons.

Chris Elliott's real-life parents-in-fiction were played by Elinor Donahue and his actual father, comedian Bob Elliott.

According to David Mirkin, the Chris Peterson character was originally conceived as 'What would Dennis the Menace have been like at 30 years old', starting as a wisecracking, functional adult in the pilot before becoming darker and more psychotic once the series was greenlit.

Fox executives reportedly hated the show, considering it too disturbing and its main character too unlikeable and insane, making it a struggle for Elliott and Mirkin to get it on air.

The episode 'Spewey and Me,' a parody of E.T. and Mac and Me, was nearly blocked from airing by the studio due to the alien character being considered disgusting, but Fox executive Peter Chernin personally intervened, calling it one of the funniest episodes and ensuring its broadcast.

Bob Elliott chose not to return for season two because he disliked being away from his home in Maine, a feeling worsened after his rented Los Angeles home was burglarized during the first season; he was persuaded to film insert scenes for a few early season two episodes before his final appearance in 'Prisoner of Love.'

The end of the opening credits used the original house from The Munsters as a backdrop, serving as an homage to classic sitcoms of the 1960s and 1970s.

Had Get a Life continued beyond season two, the creators planned to have Chris Peterson become a homeless drifter traveling the country, dropping all the other regular characters from the show.