Manny's last name, Bianco (Italian for "white"), is the counterpart to Bernard Black.
Bernard is inspired by a real bookshop owner in Dublin, who Dylan Moran described as "He looks like he's swallowed a cup of sour milk and peed himself at the same time. He has this green bilious expression, years of displeasure have shaped his face."
The bookshelf behind Bernard's desk has "Property of St. John and Red Cross Hospital Library Dept." stamped on it.
The term "Katzenjammer" (Fran's last name) means disillusion of someone after having had a sensation of pleasant anticipation and is then being knocked out of cloud nine and is "back to reality" now and finds himself in a distressful inner state. Also another meaning for "Katzenjammer" is having a hangover, the sensation of the usual aftereffects of sickness and discomfort most often after a night-out and binge drinking.