The series was originally announced by the CBC under the working title 'The Session' before being retitled 'Being Erica' prior to its 2009 debut.

The show was created by Jana Sinyor and produced by Temple Street Productions, with international distribution handled by BBC Worldwide.

The pilot episode was shot in November 2007, while the rest of the first season was filmed from July through December 2008, entirely in Toronto.

Only 12 episodes were produced for the second season due to budget cuts at the CBC, compared to the standard 13-episode order for other seasons.

Although never officially cancelled by the CBC, creator Jana Sinyor stated during the fourth season that the series had reached a natural conclusion and she had no plans to produce a fifth season.

The characters Dave and Ivan, owners of the coffee shop Goblins, are named after the real-life founders of Temple Street Productions, David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg.

Celebrity fashion journalist Jay Manuel appears as himself in an episode where he provides Brent with a tell-all memoir to help save the publishing company 50/50 Press.

The final season drew criticism for awkward product placement, including a cold open that served as an extended commercial for the 2012 Ford Focus and a storyline promoting Tetley Infusions iced tea, which Tetley then used as the basis for a contest sending a winner to visit the show's set in Toronto.