The series is based on the book Sobreviviendo a Pablo Escobar, written by Jhon Jairo Velásquez, the lieutenant and right-hand man of Pablo Escobar, on whom the main character is directly based.

The first episode premiered with a total of 8.4 million viewers in Colombia, making it the most watched production in its 10:00pm time slot and surpassing rival show El Comandante on RCN Televisión.

Due to its strong reception from the Colombian audience, the series was extended from an originally planned 60 episodes (the number already sold internationally) to 69 episodes.

The final episode aired on 23 May 2017 and drew an average of 9.8 million viewers, ranking third among the most watched programs nationwide in Colombia that day.

The series originally aired in Colombia under the title Alias J.J., lo que pasa tras las rejas before being retitled Sobreviviendo a Escobar, alias JJ (Surviving Escobar: Alias JJ) for international distribution, including on Netflix.

On Netflix, the series was made available starting 1 August 2017 but was removed on 1 August 2023 due to licensing restrictions.

Actress Natasha Klauss won the ACA-15 Minutos award for Best Supporting Actress, while actor Toto Vega won the ACA-15 Minutos award for Favorite Villain for his role as Iván Darío Urrego.