While the song Funeral Pyre by The Jam is playing on the radio, the police get called to a break-in on Stanley Road. Stanley Road is the name of a solo album by Jam lead singer Paul Weller.
Ray (Dean Andrews) says of his wish to join the army, "There could be another Falklands." The Falklands War ended with Argentina's surrender on 14 June 1982.
Chris (Marshall Lancaster) gives up smoking after Alex (Keeley Hawes) tells him it lowers the sperm count, and takes to eating "Golden Wonder" crisps to compensate for the nicotine "buzz". At the time, "Golden Wonder" and their older rival, "Smiths", were the two best selling brands of potato crisp in the UK.
"Metal Mickey" is the nickname of suspect Mickey Dillon (Neal Barry). Metal Mickey was a cute silver comedy robot, created by Johnny Edwards, who first appeared on Southern TV kids show The Saturday Banana (1978) in 1978. Later, LWT gave him his own series, The Metal Mickey Show (1980-1983).
This episode takes place in November 1982. After Alex (Keeley Hawes) remarks that Metal Mickey (Neal Barry) has a (steel) plate in his head Gene (Philip Glenister) says, "Any luck he'll be picking up that new channel", and Chris (Marshall Lancaster) chimes in, "I've only seen that Countdown on it. Proper ambulance chaser telly, it'll never last." Gene continues, "Course it won't. TV in the afternoon, it's for greasy students and the clinically insane." Chris finishes with, "And my auntie Irene-mind you she is insane-she thinks she's married to Malcolm Muggeridge". They are referring to the start of Channel Four on 2 November 1982. The first programme screened was the daily words and number quiz Countdown (1982), presented by Richard Whiteley. Malcolm Muggeridge was a Catholic journalist and BBC TV personality.