The name Mr. Foley is a nod to the "Foley artists" who created sound effects on radio, film and (later) television.
Mr. Foley's dialogue consists almost entirely of interjections in the form of sound effects.
Tom Beckett (Mr. Foley) was the only cast member to appear in all 55 episodes.
It is mentioned in several episodes that Hilary Booth appeared in "The Rivals" on Broadway many years prior. "The Rivals" is a "comedy of manners" written by Richard Sheridan, first presented in 1775. It has played on Broadway many times, starting in 1778. In the Twentieth Century, it had several short runs, in 1910, 1912, 1922, 1923, 1930, and 1942.
Although it is a classic play on its own, it is also known for the character of Mrs. Malaprop, who repeatedly used like sounding but absurdly inappropriate words in her conversation. The term malapropism was named after the character, examples of which from the play include: "illiterate him quite from your memory" (instead of "obliterate"), "he is the very pineapple of politeness" (instead of pinnacle), and "she's as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile" (instead of alligator).
Although it is a classic play on its own, it is also known for the character of Mrs. Malaprop, who repeatedly used like sounding but absurdly inappropriate words in her conversation. The term malapropism was named after the character, examples of which from the play include: "illiterate him quite from your memory" (instead of "obliterate"), "he is the very pineapple of politeness" (instead of pinnacle), and "she's as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile" (instead of alligator).