Jim Carrey personally created the "Oops" puppet. He said it personifies giving children permission to make mistakes.
When creator Dave Holstein wrote the pilot, he envisioned Jim Carrey as the only option for the lead character. His drive was such that when he heard Carrey was producing a show for Showtime, I'm Dying Up Here (2017), he managed to get a job as a writer on it so he could pitch Kidding to Carrey.
Michel Gondry was announced to direct the whole first season of the show, but ended up directing six out of the ten episodes.
Michel Gondry and Jim Carrey previously worked together on their Oscar-winning film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).
On September 14, 2017, it was announced that Showtime had given the production a straight-to-series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes.