Among the fake TV shows on the lineup board are Supertrain, Hawaii 6-0, and Lifeguards from UNCLE. Supertrain was a real show, and in 1979 one of the most expensive TV series ever produced at that time, and one of all time biggest flops.
This episode has the somewhat ignominious distinction of showing a real death. At the start of the episode, a promotional clip for the fictional TV show "Maimings, Massacres, and Practical Jokes" uses a snippet of actual news footage for the "Maimings" part. The footage in question is of the end of a police chase, involving a red SUV, which resulted in the fatal shooting of the driver of the SUV.