Black Summer is a spin-off/prequel to Z Nation, created by Z Nation co-creator Karl Schaefer alongside co-executive producer John Hyams, but adopts a much darker, less comedic tone than its parent series.

Producer Jodi Binstock later distanced the show from the 'spin-off' label, explaining it simply picks up on the period referred to in Z Nation as 'the summer where everything went to hell,' about four months into the apocalypse when 95% of the population dies.

Creator Karl Schaefer said the series was designed not as episodic television but as an 8-hour 'chunk' meant to be binged, avoiding traditional cliffhangers at commercial breaks.

Deaf Syrian refugee Mustafa Alabssi was cast to play Ryan, a deaf character in the series.

Filming took place in and around Calgary, Alberta, including locations such as Queen Elizabeth High School, Stampede Park, McMahon Stadium, under the Calgary Tower, and the smaller communities of Irricana, Beiseker and Cochrane.

Lead actress Jaime King was hospitalized for three days due to injuries sustained on set, which she revealed at the same time she confirmed the first season had wrapped production.

Z Nation actor DJ Qualls noted at San Diego Comic-Con that his series takes place a long time after Black Summer's events, joking that the Z Nation cast is 'too old' for a crossover between the two shows to work.

Horror author Stephen King publicly praised Black Summer, calling it 'existential hell in the suburbs, stripped to the bone,' and the show became the most-watched program on Netflix in the United Kingdom in April 2019.