The title is taken from the term for "tapping" recruits into secret society Skull & Bones, as well as into the CIA.
Executive Producer Rob Reiner directed some of the greatest movies of his era, including Stand by Me (1986), When Harry Met Sally... (1989), and A Few Good Men (1992). The Tap is a rare example of Reiner producing TV.
The cast features several prominent stage actors, including Tony Award nominees Adrienne Warren, Jessica Hecht, and Zach Grenier, and multiple Tony Award winner James Naughton.
Filming was done all over New York City. Locations include Union Theological Seminary, Bronx Community College, Alder Manor, Fordham University, Brooklyn Historical Society, Church of the Intercession, and additional locations on Manhattan's Upper East Side, City Island, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Yonkers.