The series was created by Garry Campbell and premiered on May 15, 2018, on CTV Drama Channel, which was formerly known as Bravo.

Carter was produced by Amaze Film and Entertainment and was shot in North Bay, Ontario, in 2017.

In Season 2, Lyriq Bent joined the cast as interim police chief Joyce Boyle, and Andy Berman took over as showrunner for that season.

The show was commissioned by Sony Pictures Television for AXN broadcasts in Spain, Latin America, Brazil, Japan, Central Europe and Russia, alongside Bell Media, with Sony distributing the series outside Canada.

In January 2019, the series was renewed for a second season by WGN America in the United States, with the second season premiering in Canada on October 25, 2019, and on WGN America on January 20, 2020.

Canadian critic John Doyle of The Globe and Mail gave the show a negative review, calling it 'inelegantly made tomfoolery' and joking that when it comes to Canadian TV, the term 'exacting standards' doesn't apply.

Los Angeles Times reviewer Lorraine Ali praised the charm and timing of star Jerry O'Connell, describing the show as an 'easy-to-watch satire with just the right balance of smart jokes for silly situations'.

A few weeks after its premiere on Bravo, Bell Media announced the series would receive a second broadcast window on terrestrial CTV stations that summer, and WGN America acquired U.S. airing rights in June 2018, premiering it on August 7, 2018.