In Sweden, from where Beck originates, seasons 1-3 were released straight to video, except two films per season which premiered in theaters, just like the two of season 4. Season 5 was the first to premiere on TV.
Kristofer Hivju painstakingly taught himself to speak Swedish after being given the role of Steinar, only to be promptly told on set to perform in Norwegian instead.
Ingvar Hirdwall, who plays Beck's neighbor, played Åke Eriksson, the titular villain, in Der Mann auf dem Dach (1976), the most famous Beck film.
Mikael Persbrandt reportedly dropped out of the series to appear in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017). Persbrandt later claimed he had been fired.
Based on characters from the "Roman om ett brott" ("Story of a Crime") novel series by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, originally published between 1965 and 1975.