History YMMV / TheYoungOnes

** Norman Lovett (the first Holly in ''Series/RedDwarf'') owned the penny arcade across the road. Creator/ChrisBarrie appeared as a Napoleonic sailor in an animated painting.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The series features several bands performing who have since split up or lost members, like Music/DexysMidnightRunners or Music/TheDamned. And then there is an episode, "Nasty", where the characters rent a Video Nasty. Most viewers nowadays have probably no clue what a "video nasty" is supposed to be. They also have jokes parodying the over-the-top PIF about reckless driving, made by a now-defunct government board and the T.V Times' old advertising slogan, a hamster named after the Special Patrol Group, which was disbanded in 1987, and outdated tech, from their analogue T.V to the VCR to Creator/TheBBC going off air after 10 o'clock, to Rick's record player and Vyvyan's Ford Anglia. (Although if anyone [[HistoryRepeats in the modern day]] would be enough of a self-satisfied hipster to own a vinyl record player, it would be Rick.)

** Mike isn't anywhere near as popular as Rick, Vyvyan, or Neil, which you can argue is mainly due to being the more mundane of the lads (Rick being an arrogant egotist, Vyvyan being insane, and Neil being whiney but endearing). But Alexei Sayle's various roles appear to be most disliked, possibly because of how they [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment come out of nowhere]] and [[SomethingCompletelyDifferent proceed to interrupt]] the episode for several minutes. It's telling that "Bambi" is considered to be the funniest episode and has Sayle's role shorter than usual.[[note]](Somewhat paradoxically, "Nasty", which gives Sayle the ''most'' screentime of any episode in the series, is generally considered in the top three or so episodes; this may be because Sayle's character, the "vampire" actually is important to the plot, instead of just eating up screentime to little effect)[[/note]]

* AcceptableTargets: Hippies, UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher, [[PoliceAreUseless the police]], racists, the [[UpperClassTwit upper]] [[SlobsVersusSnobs classes]]... virtually everyone is ripe for scrutiny on this show.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The show just loves these. Doesn't matter what episode you pick, there will be one in there. For example, 'Summer Holiday' has a pair of ants discussing the idea that humans can build bridges, and asking [[MakesSenseInContext how they can get them into the disco.]] Another moment has a garden gnome coming to life, saying that it wasn't a gnome Rick just killed, but [[spoiler: a hippie.]] In some ways, this show ''is'' one long B.L.A.M.

** The incredibly creepy scream when Vyvyan gets decapitated in ''Bambi''.

* OneSceneWonder: The shirtless, unhinged laughing guy who randomly appears to deliver a short monologue in a transitional cutaway scene in "Cash". He only ever appears in that one part but his 'You won't catch me with me trousers!' line is considered one of the most memorable from the entire show.

* OneSceneWonder: The shirtless, unhinged laughing guy who randomly appears to deliver a short monologue in a transitional cutaway scene in "Cash". He only ever appears in that one part but his 'you won't catch me with me trousers!' line is considered one of the most memorable from the entire show.

* OneSceneWonder: The shirtless, unhinged laughing guy who randomly appears to deliver a short monologue in a transitional cutaway scene in "Cash". He only ever appears in that one part but his 'you won't catch me with me trousers!' line is considered one of the most memorable from the entire show.

* FoeYay: ''Ob''viously, Rick and Vyvyan. A bunch of their interactions could easily be passed off as {{Belligerent Sexual Tension}}. The way Vyvyan frequently refers to Rick as either "girl" or "girlie" doesn’t help anything at all. There’s a reason why Rick/Vyvyan (Rivyan) is the most popular pairing in The Young Ones Fandom. Just take a look at these moments:
--> '''Rick:''' Oh, so you've been going through my Y-fronts have you, Vyvyan? I suppose you fancy me, is that it?
--> '''Vyvyan:''' (pause) ''Yes!'' As a matter of fact I do, Rick. I ''really really'' fancy you, and I want to give you a big girly kiss on the bottom!
--> '''Rick:''' Urgh, Mike, Vyvyan's gone all funny! He says he wants to kiss my bottom!
--> '''Vyvyan:''' Oh! Did I say kiss you on the bottom? I'm very sorry, what I meant was, ''stick a pickaxe through your spinal column!!''
** When Rick (sarcastically) accuses Vyvyan of fancying him, Vyv for a second looks genuinely panicked.
** In the ''Bachelor Boys'' book, Rick writes a [[StylisticSuck spy story]] in which he emphasises that the hot air hostess who wants to shag him is "a ''real'' girly, don't forget, [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial not Vyvyan in a dress]]."
** Rick seems to feel the unnecessary need to touch Vyvyan in certain places:
*** There’s a scene that shows the two fighting over whose room is whose and Rick decides to give Vyvyan’s arm a little pinch for... some reason...
*** There’s even a scene in another episode where Rick [[BelligerentSexualTension squeezes Vyvyan’s penis while they’re having a fight.]] ''No, seriously.''
** There’s a scene where Rick and Vyvyan are fighting and Vyvyan suddenly squeezes Rick’s nipples before pushing him down and jumping on him.
** Not as blatant as Rick and Vyvyan, but there's some FoeYay with Rick and Neil, particularly the way Rick seems to have NoSenseOfPersonalSpace with Neil at all.
** Vyvyan seems pretty interested in the fact that Neil is wearing [[spoiler: Rick’s]] dress. ''Too'' interested...
** In "Nasty", Vyvyan's instant response to Mike's suggestion that they all lose their virginity is, "Bags not Rick!" It's noteworthy that Rick's the first thing to cross Vyv's mind when he considers having sex.
** Looking at some of these moments, Vyvyan could easily be interpreted as an [[ArmouredClosetGay armoured closeted bisexual.]]
** In "Flood" there’s a scene where Rick and Vyvyan are arguing about war and peace with plenty of Ho Yay-filled elements to go within it. At one point, Rick... puts his bottom near Vyvyan so he can prove a point...?

** There’s a scene where they’re Rick and Vyvyan are fighting and Vyvyan suddenly squeezes Rick’s nipples before pushing him down and jumping on him.