Coroner is based on the Jenny Cooper series of crime novels written by M. R. Hall, and was developed for television by Morwyn Brebner.

The show was produced by Muse Entertainment, Back Alley Film Productions, and Cineflix Studios, with Adrienne Mitchell serving as executive producer and lead director.

Coroner premiered on CBC on 7 January 2019 and attracted more than 1 million viewers per episode throughout its first season, leading to a swift renewal for a second season.

When Coroner launched in the United Kingdom on Universal TV in January 2019, it was reported to be Universal TV's strongest ever series launch.

Following the closure of Universal TV in the UK after Comcast's takeover of Sky Group, the series moved to Sky Witness for its second season broadcast in the UK.

In the United States, broadcast rights were acquired by The CW in June 2020, with the series premiering there on 5 August 2020, well after its original Canadian debut.

In June 2022, CBC General Manager Sally Catto announced that lead actress Serinda Swan had decided to leave the series after four seasons, prompting discussions with producers about its future.

The fourth season expanded to 12 episodes, compared to the eight-episode length of the first two seasons, with production beginning in July 2021.