Antosca thought Broberg's story was too intricate for Abducted in Plain Sight's 90-minute runtime and sought to retell the events with more context and depth.

Broberg and her mother Mary Ann served as producers on the show; Jan was often invited to the writers room to provide suggestions.

Critics gave A Friend of the Family positive reviews, and praised Eliza Hittman's direction and Lacy's performance.

Despite admiring Abducted in Plain Sight, Antosca thought the story was too intricate for an 90-minute runtime; he wanted to work with Broberg and her family to retell the events with more context and depth.

In March 2019, Antosca and Alex Hedlund contacted her about the project; she said he distinguished himself from other filmmakers in wanting to tell her story in his "sincerely empathetic" approach, saying, "There was care and concern ...

[15] Broberg stated she has told her story many times "because I want to help people see it before it's too late", and abuse from "someone you know, someone you often love and usually trust" is common but not discussed enough.

[19] Antosca thought the story is "about a family overcoming something and getting to a place of forgiveness and healing where the monster has lost his power over them, which is also what made it worth telling".

[14] At the start of the show, Broberg introduces herself and explains her story to assure viewers she survives and because the events depicted are "nearly unbelievable, unless someone says, 'This happened'".

[16] In February 2022, the streaming platform Peacock gave the show a straight-to-series order with Eliza Hittman as director and executive producer.

Since Abducted in Plain Sight's production, true crime dramas had gained in popularity, prompting Hittman to contemplate the genre's ethics.

[18] Although she was not involved in the final casting selections, Broberg extensively spoke to Antosca about Robert Berchtold's character and the importance of portraying him as credible, loving parent.

[24] To prepare for his role, Lacy read Lolita (1955), a novel in which the middle-aged narrator abducts and sexually abuses a 12-year-old girl with whom he is obsessed.

[28] Lio Tipton, who portrays Gail Berchtold, was interested in the show due to the Brobergs' involvement, and was also a fan of Antosca and Hittman.

[13] Grace described the role as "really emotionally and sometimes physically exhausting"; she had to push her abilities and blend three versions of Broberg—her own, Yancey's, and the real-life Broberg.

[35] The recurring cast includes Austin Stowell as FBI Agent Peter Walsh, who is determined to return Jan to her family; Patrick Fischler as Garth Pincock, Bannock County's district attorney; Bree Elrod as Jennifer Ferguson, Berchtold's lawyer; Philip Ettinger as Joe Berchtold, Robert's brother;[36] and Ella Jay Basco as Sofia.

She considered her appearance in A Friend of the Family freeing;[19] she said she felt she was "able to give [her] younger self a path" and console her father, who she thought never truly forgave himself.

[42] While filming the scene in which Berchtold drugs Broberg, the crew focused on ensuring the then 11-year-old Yancey felt safe; according to Antosca, "You're asking a very young actress to go to a really intense emotional place.

The design takes inspiration from Classical Realism films of the 1970s, including Badlands (1973) and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974).

[18] Production designer John D. Kretschmer was influenced by his own Protestant home in North Carolina, which he deemed similar to Broberg's neighborhood.

The production team recreated the Broberg family's house in Atlanta: they renovated a home atop a hill that was "a surprising visual match" by replicating the windows and floor plan.

The website's critics' consensus reads; "Unspooling like a slow-motion nightmare, A Friend of the Family benefits immeasurably from Eliza Hittman's deft direction and Jake Lacy's unflinching portrayal of insidious evil".

[53] Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly said the show has difficulty sustaining its nine-hour duration due to a lack of insight and analysis.

Club referred to Paquin as "heartbreaking" and "quietly powerful", respectively,[45][55] while Common Sense Media stated Tipton "gives ... Gail real depth, convincingly depicting a troubled woman frozen between shame".

[58] According to Variety's Joshua Alston, Tipton is able to give the character stability while maintaining a jittery, disturbing quality that is reminiscent of Lili Taylor.

[53] Entertainment website Ready Steady Cut dubbed Yancey and Grace the show's "MVPs", saying they "manage to fully convince and convey that they are in fact the one character at differing ages".