Being Eileen is a BBC comedy-drama which began as a six-part series on 4 February and ended on 11 March 2013. It began as a one-off Christmas special titled Lapland, broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 24 December 2011. A full series was later announced, with the title Being Eileen, consisting of six 30 minute episodes, due to the success of the single episode, which was viewed by 6.9 million viewers upon its original airing. The series also aired on BBC Two as part of Sign Zone, which features sign language throughout. The series was released on DVD on 1 April 2013.

The series, written by Michael Wynne, features an ensemble cast. Headed by Sue Johnston, who plays Eileen Lewis, the programme focuses on her, the widowed matriarch of a "large, close-knit and dysfunctional Northern family". The single episode focused on the family's visit to Lapland, whilst the series focuses on their life in Birkenhead. Elizabeth Berrington and Stephen Graham (later recast to Dean Andrews) play Eileen's children, whilst William Ash and Julie Graham play their partners. All the cast - Johnston, Berrington, Ash, Graham and Keith Barron - a love interest for Eileen - returned for the series, with the exceptions of Stephen Graham and Zawe Ashton, who played Jingle Jill.

Michael Wynne wrote the first script for Lapland. He said in an interview, "I just went on a day trip, which was pretty hardcore. It was a three-hour trip there and back. I went a couple of weeks before Christmas, and it was stressful enough then". The kind of pressure that would build when it's actually Christmas and everyone wants it to be perfect is just a gift to write about. I thought it would be good if a big, messy family like my own went away". When the cast and crew arrived on location in Norway, Wynne said that they had to do "a bit of rewriting" due to there being no snow falling whilst they were filming, to which he said, "They're not really looking for snow. And they get to make jokes about climate change and it all looking like Aberystwyth". The episode was originally supposed to last 90 minutes, but was cut down to 75. Although set in Lapland, the scenes were filmed in Norway. Sue Johnston said, "We flew to Tromsø and then travelled an hour north and stayed on an army barracks". Producer Rosemary McGowan said, "Michael Wynne has skilfully brought to life one ordinary family's chaotic experience of Christmas in a way that will have people all over the country chuckling in recognition. Funny, warm but also moving". Johnston teased the series, "Stephen Graham plays my son and his wife (Julie Graham) has some killer funny lines. She doesn’t want to be there at all and her kids are very, very naughty. Then there's my daughter and her husband, who's a boring know-it-all who keeps going on about seeing The Northern Lights, plus their two children who are lovely".

It was just a one-off after I had this idea about a family going to Lapland then the BBC said ‘do you think there's any more life in it?’. I’ve really enjoyed doing the series and getting involved in the process of the filming, even down to working with the composer and the woman who did the title sequence. I am a producer as well so I was there on set for a lot of the filming and editing, saying things like ‘have you got another shot of that?’ and ‘that doesn’t work!’. This series is very much inspired by growing up in Birkenhead and my family and friends. I wanted to put a nice family who get on on the telly – they have problems but they like each other.

— Writer and creator Michael Wynne talking about the series, and his inspiration.

On 4 October 2012, the BBC announced that Lapland will have a full series. The series followed the success of that of the Christmas special, which was watched by 6.89 million. Lapland is made by BBC In-House Comedy and was filmed in locations at Salford, Manchester, Liverpool, Birkenhead, New Brighton, World Museum and Landican Cemetery. This series was again written by Wynne and produced by McGowan. Mark Freeland the controller of UK Comedy Production, BBC said, "After its rating success last Christmas, it's exciting that Lapland is coming back as a series. It shows BBC One backs fresh, new, comic writing". Pete Thornton, executive producer added, "Michael Wynne has penned a beautifully nuanced, warm hearted Northern comedy featuring a highly original comic family. With the brilliant Sue Johnston leading a stellar cast, we're thrilled to welcome this hit ensemble back to BBC One". Former EastEnders actress Susan Tully directed some of the series episodes, as did Simon Delaney. All the main cast returned, with the exception of Stephen Graham and Zawe Ashton. On 28 December 2012, a trailer was released showcasing the channel's 2013 programs; Lapland being shown. In 2013, the series was renamed to Being Eileen. Johnston said of the show being made into a series, "To me, it was just a one-off drama at the time, so it was a nice surprise when they suddenly got in touch". The series finished on 11 March 2013. Phil Perez, a guest star in "Ay Carumba", said that there was "talk of another series" after the first, when interviewed in January 2013 although as of 2017 no second series has been produced.

The ensemble cast, features Johnston as the "ageing mother" and the "widowed matriarch" Eileen. Elizabeth Berrington plays Paula, and initially Stephen Graham, later Dean Andrews plays Pete, both of whom play Eileen's children. William Ash plays Paula's husband Ray and Julie Graham plays Pete's wife Mandy, both of whom are described as "rather unlovable partners". Adam Scotland, Ellis Murphy, Connor Dempsey and Georgia Doyle as Eileen's grandchildren, Jack, Liam, Ethan and Melissa, described as a "mixed bag of young children, some spoilt-rotten, some sugar-sweet". Ashton played Jingle Jill, a tourism guide for the single episode, and Keith Barron plays Maurice, a love interest for Eileen.

The "wit" of the script appealed to Johnston due to her having to bury her father near Christmas, "as did the chance of a lifetime to go to the frozen north", what Johnston called, "the icing on the cake". Stephen Graham added, "I remember Sue from when she was in Brookside and she's a legend. I’ve always wanted to work with her. For me to work with Sue Johnston is like playing football with Steven Gerrard". Perez agreed, calling her "great to work" and "so friendly", adding "you felt as if you had known her for years". Wynne added, "Sue is brilliant. She is so experienced that she just hits it – the comedy and the pathos. It is exactly what you were thinking and 100 times more". Upon the announcement of the series, it was stated that Stephen Graham's character had been recast to Marchlands star Dean Andrews. Johnston said of this, "I was very sad when I heard that Stephen wasn’t going to do it, but then when I met Dean Andrews, all was forgiven. He's lovely". Julie Graham was the first to sign up for the series. Barron who played Maurice was confirmed to return in a guest role. Johnston said of the Berrington's character Paula, "Oh, she's always hysterical. And I think she thinks her mother's going loopy, but she's crazier than her mother. She's just always stressed out, and there's a lot of conflict between her and her brother, who's played by Dean. She's the sort of daughter who wants attention. Obviously, Pete has been the golden boy and there's a bit of tension between Eileen and Paula, as there often is between a mother and daughter, when there's a son involved. So all that adds to the drama". The series focusses on Eileen's "tough" time being apart from her deceased husband Ted. Johnston said that Eileen is trying to "get on with her life" after his death. She said, "In doing so, she meets opposition from the family who think she has gone a bit loopy. They have never seen the fact that she can be strong and independent. She goes to a Rihanna concert with an old friend and becomes a lot more adventurous but her family starts to wonder what is going on".