Josh Thomas and producer Todd Abbott developed the series together for four years, holding a series of consultation meetings with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation before it was picked up.

Executive producer Todd Abbott deliberately pitched the show as a drama rather than a sitcom, despite its comedic tones.

Josh Thomas, a known Australian comedian, wanted honesty in the script and specifically instructed the actors not to intentionally react to the scripted jokes, aiming for a naturalistic delivery.

The show was originally meant to air on the mainstream channel ABC1 but was moved to the digital channel ABC2, a decision criticized by some as the broadcaster viewing the show's gay content as 'too gay' for its primary channel.

Six months after its original ABC2 run, ABC1 began airing the series on Wednesday nights at 10pm in September 2013.

Pivot, the US channel that co-developed the show from season two onward, launched a companion social media website called 'pleaselikeme.org' where viewers could share personal experiences about breaking the stigma of feeling unliked.

The season 3 premiere episode 'Eggplant' was praised for a gay sex scene where the camera does not cut away, a moment considered a significant shift for Australian broadcast television compared to earlier 'cinematographic censorship' of queer intimacy.

The series received an invitation to screen at the Series Mania Television Festival in Paris, and The A.V. Club named season 2 one of the year's best shows.