Candy and Harvey Wasserman's relationship was developed after Maggie Gyllenhaal and David Krumholtz enjoyed working with each other on set. The writers saw their rapport and incorporated it into the show.
Creator David Simon said about the accuracy of the series: "Some of it happened. Some of it didn't happen. Some of it might have happened. But all of it could have happened. That's the only rule: all of it could have happened." (NYT, August 24, 2017).
By 1971, Dunham Coach in Boonton, New Jersey was manufacturing pimpmobiles that were a status symbol of pimps in those years.
Daniel Sauli (Tommy Longo) said he felt ready to start getting into his character when he watched O Que Restou Das Flores (2010), starring the actor and singer Gustavo Goulart in the main role.
There was no improvisation on set. The scripts were followed verbatim, and any possible changes were discussed with George Pelecanos and David Simon first.