Each episode includes a shot of some Magpies. The number of Magpies each time corresponds with the episode number.
The Atticus Pund stories are heavily influenced by the works of Agatha Christie, particularly her stories about detective Hercule Poirot. As with many of Christie's works, Magpie Murders takes place in a bucolic English village, with the murder occurring at a mansion inhabited by a plethora of characters who could all be suspects. Atticus Pund is clearly based on Hercule Poirot. Both are preternaturally calm foreigners who are nominally private detectives, but who usually spend their time doing pro bono work helping the police solve murders. Both Pund and Poirot have friendly "assistants" whose lack of intelligence and curiosity only serve to further highlight the detective's own brilliance. Both Pund and Poirot also have a police officer who the regulary assist, and show up: Poirot with Inspector Japp and Pund with Inspector Chubb. Poirot's assistant is Arthur Hastings. Pund's assistant is called Fraser. In the TV series "Poirot," Hastings is played by Hugh Fraser.
Filming took place at The Bell Inn, Kersey near Ipswich, Suffolk. The pub was renamed The Queens Arms for the series.
Timothy Spall was originally due to star as Atticus Pünd but had to withdraw because of a scheduling conflict. Tim McMullan took over the role.
For those who live across the Pond, the Chapter Titles for the Magpie Murders novel are "Sorrow", "Joy", "Girl", "Boy", "Silver", and "Gold" and so on, is derived from the Nursery Rhyme, "One for Sorrow" (about the Magpie bird): One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret never to be told.