In the aerobics scene, they said Charles in Charge (1984) was cancelled. The show actually WAS cancelled after its first season in 1985, when GLOW is set to take place. It was later picked up to run again in first-run syndication, replacing most of the first season's cast, except for Charles and Buddy.
Ruth's "Olga" character saying "What a country!" is a nod to Soviet-American stand-up comedian Yakov Smirnoff's infamous catchphrase.