The show's premise was originally conceived in 1969 by director Robert Butler as a series about a solo female private investigator, but MTM head Grant Tinker felt it was ahead of its time. The concept was revived in 1980 after the success of shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and writer Michael Gleason was brought in to add the idea of a fictitious male boss.

Stephanie Zimbalist initially turned down the role of Laura Holt because she did not want to be tied to one show, but had a late-night change of heart.

Pierce Brosnan was initially rejected by NBC executives for the role of Remington Steele because he was a relative unknown in America; MTM's Stu Erwin had to push back in a face-to-face meeting with NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff before Brosnan was cast.

The character Mildred Krebs was originally written as an attractive 35-year-old rival for Steele's affections, but Doris Roberts, fresh off an Emmy win for St. Elsewhere, asked to audition and won the role, prompting Gleason to rewrite the character to fit her casting.

Efrem Zimbalist Jr., who plays Steele's mentor and eventual father figure Daniel Chalmers, is the real-life father of star Stephanie Zimbalist.

Cassandra Harris, who played Felicia and Anna in several episodes, was Pierce Brosnan's wife at the time.

Several episodes were filmed on location internationally, including Mexico, Cannes, Ireland, Malta, and London, giving the show a globe-trotting feel especially in its later seasons.

The show's 1985-86 cancellation caused Albert R. Broccoli to withdraw an offer for Pierce Brosnan to play James Bond in The Living Daylights, since Broccoli didn't want Bond associated with a current TV series; after NBC reversed the cancellation, the Bond role went to Timothy Dalton instead, and Brosnan would not become 007 until 1995's GoldenEye.

Stephanie Zimbalist had accepted the role of Officer Anne Lewis in RoboCop but was forced to drop out when NBC reversed its cancellation of Remington Steele, and the part went to Nancy Allen instead.

Doris Roberts stated that stars Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan rarely spoke to each other off-camera during production, and that this real-life tension contributed to the series' eventual end, though both actors later spoke fondly of each other in later interviews.

On the Season 1 DVD release, Fox Video initially omitted top-billed star Stephanie Zimbalist from all promotional material and the box art in favor of promoting only Pierce Brosnan, before adding a sticker crediting her as an afterthought; the error was corrected starting with the Season 2 release.