Idea Proposed and Used to Death in the Virgin Books Era: American space programme, aliens, Area 51, FBI, conspiracies, blah blah blah. It was the 1990s, you see, and that was fashionable.
Central Premise Recycled From: Pretty much any conspiracy-theory series of the 1990s, via "Dreamland" (the animated David Tennant spinoff story from a couple of years back).
Reference to Moffat's Back Catalogue: We've had creepy spacesuits and cute children, now have a cute child in a creepy spacesuit! And creepy tape recordings! Also wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey stuff with the Doctor's timeline and him and River Song meeting in reverse order.
Amy Saves the day with Wuv: Well, she can't save the day yet as it's only Part One, but her Wuv for the Doctor does get her running out to Monument Valley on a moment's notice.
Joss Whedon Called...: He wants The Gentlemen back. Oh, and Mark Sheppard.
And from Lawrence Miles: The Doctor's body is so dangerous, even dead, that it must be destroyed.
Murray Goldwatch: The irritating da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da theme starts in Scene 2, before the credits even, and never gets better.
Nostalgia UK: Mad Men-inspired Sixties-iana, the Moon Landings, Laurel and Hardy.
Inside Joke List: Space: 1969. "Since when do you drink wine?" Amy asks the Doctor (the Pertwee era, actually).
Teeth! Anti-teeth, on the Silence, who have no mouths and therefore cannot tooth.
Fish! Mentioned, as fingers with custard.
Hats! Stetsons are cool this week.
Small Child! In a spacesuit, no less.
Item Most Likely to Wind Up as a Toy: The Silence of course. Although it looks like the chances of us finally seeing a limited-edition Amy Pond Up the Duff are increasing.