In-joke: Tommy (played by Alfred Lutter III), when told he can't go to the movies, grumbles, "Now I'll never meet Tatum O'Neal." In fact, Lutter co-starred as Ogilvie in The Bad News Bears (1976) with Tatum O'Neal earlier this same year.
Art imitates life: Actor Dennis Dugan (Joel) really did like older women, and at the time of filming was married to actress Joyce Van Patten, who was 12 years his senior. Dugan and Van Patten were married from 1973 to 1987. And while the character Joel says he's 25, actor Dugan was 30 years old when this show was first broadcast.
Alice's young Lothario admits he's from Portland. Actress Linda Lavin was born in Portland, Maine on October 15, 1937.
The exploding straw scene in the opening credits is in the pilot episode at 3m25s. There is another exploding straw scene prior at 1m28, but this wasn't in the opening credits.
A book chronicling the development of the TV series, entitled "Alice: Life Behind the Counter in Mel's Greasy Spoon (A Guide to the Feature Film, the TV Series, and More)," was published by BearManor Media.