Creator Armando Iannucci wanted to explore group think and human behavior rather than politics, drawing inspiration from classic sci-fi writers like H. G. Wells and Isaac Asimov as well as the Battlestar Galactica reboot's focus on power dynamics and discrimination.

Iannucci said the core idea quickly became a space cruise ship stuck adrift for eight years, blending comedy with a sci-fi disaster premise.

HBO gave the series a pilot order in September 2017, with backup scripts also reportedly ordered, before a full nine-episode series pickup followed in April 2019.

Hugh Laurie and Suzy Nakamura were the first actors cast in the pilot in August 2018, taking the lead roles of Captain Ryan Clark and Iris Kimura.

Rebecca Front joined as Karen Kelly in November 2018, while Zach Woods, Josh Gad, Nikki Amuka-Bird, and Lenora Crichlow were added as series regulars in February 2019, with Himesh Patel joining later in June as comedian Jordan Hatwal.

Principal photography for the pilot took place in London in 2018, with later filming at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden.

In July 2019, a fire damaged one of the show's sets during filming at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden.

Production on season two was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with filming eventually beginning in August 2021 and wrapping in November of that year.

Despite HBO reportedly being 'very keen' on a third season according to Iannucci in October 2022, the series was cancelled by HBO in February 2023 after two seasons.