Though Essex College is fictional, it bears some resemblance to showrunner Mindy Kaling's prestigious Ivy League alma mater, Dartmouth College (Essex is supposed to be in Vermont, while Dartmouth is in Hanover, New Hampshire--a town on the border with Vermont). "Dartmouth" and "Essex" are both place names in southern England. Filming locations representing Essex College varied over the show's first two seasons. Many first season Essex locations were filmed at Vassar College, a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York. Season two college scenes were filmed at the University of Washington in Seattle and the University of California-Los Angeles.
Pauline Chalamet is the sister of Timothée Chalamet. She and her brother both speak fluent French, unlike her storyline at the first episode.
In Episode 2, Season 1, Kimberly tells Nico that she won an award signed by the Lieutenant Governor of Arizona. In fact, Arizona is one of five states, along with Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon and Wyoming, that do not have a Lieutenant Governor.
Officially cancelled after 3 seasons on March 18, 2025, nearly 2 months after the season 3 finale aired on HBO Max.