[1] The series stars George Rexstrew, Jayden Revri, Kassius Nelson, Briana Cuoco, Ruth Connell, Yuyu Kitamura and Jenn Lyon, and follows Charles Rowland and Edwin Payne, who decided not to enter the afterlife and instead stay on Earth to investigate crimes that involve the supernatural.

The following actors reprise their roles from The Sandman: On September 3, 2021, Variety reported that HBO Max ordered a pilot for a potential Dead Boy Detectives series, then-intended as a spin-off of Doom Patrol, with Steve Yockey as writer and executive-producer alongside Jeremy Carver, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David Madden.

[7] On April 14, 2022, HBO Max gave the production a series order, with Yockey set as showrunner;[8] Beth Schwartz was attached as co-showrunner that September.

[4] In November 2021, George Rexstrew, Jayden Revri, Kassius Nelson, Alexander Calvert, Briana Cuoco, Ruth Connell, Yuyu Kitamura, and Jenn Lyon were cast.

The website's consensus reads: "Dead Boy Detectives expands the Sandman universe with an addictively entertaining paranormal fantasy with excitement, romance, and young adult angst to spare.

[25] Dead Boy Detectives debuted at number two on Netflix's Top 10 TV English titles for the tracking week of April 22–28, 2024, with 22.2 million hours viewed.