The series is based on the 2009 novel American Rust by Philipp Meyer and was created and written for television by Dan Futterman.

An earlier version of the adaptation was ordered to series by USA Network in November 2017, with a pilot written by Brian McGreevy, Lee Shipman, and Philipp Meyer, and directed by David Gordon Green, but this version was scrapped in January 2018 after the production had trouble finding a leading actor.

The project was recommissioned by Showtime in July 2019 with Dan Futterman writing and Jeff Daniels cast as Del Harris, both also serving as executive producers.

The series was filmed in and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

After Showtime canceled the series following its first season in January 2022, Amazon Freevee revived it for a second season in June 2022, which then aired on Amazon Prime Video; the show was ultimately canceled again in July 2024 after that season.

The second season, subtitled 'Broken Justice', began shooting in Western Pennsylvania in November 2022 and wrapped in May 2023.

The first season received mixed-to-negative reviews, holding a 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 48 out of 100 on Metacritic despite its A-list cast.