Produced by Granada Television in Manchester,[1] Island at War had an estimated budget of £9 million and was filmed on location in the Isle of Man from August 2003 to October 2003.

In a review by Anita Gates for The New York Times, Gates wrote, "You can call Island at War a soap opera, as some British television critics have, but if that's true this soap opera is a gripping, poetic one—about moral courage in many guises.

"[3] In the Channel Islands themselves the series faced widespread criticism in the local press owing to inaccuracy, mispronunciation of names (for example, 'Mahy' was pronounced 'Mah-hee' rather than 'Ma'yee') and the fact that the series was filmed not on the islands themselves but on the Isle of Man.

The writer Stephen Mallatratt died from cancer shortly after the series was broadcast.

This, coupled with the high production cost and controversy over historical accuracy, meant the series came to an end.