The town of 'Maaskantje' in the series is a real town, the birth place of Steffen Haars and Tim Haars. When the series became popular, the town was flooded with fans of the series, and at one point, all the name signs of the town were reported stolen.
The old man who often witnesses the boys' escapades and reacts by despondently shaking his head is the grandfather of Steffen Haars and Tim Haars.
The copious use of the German beer brand 'Schultenbräu' (known in the Netherlands as generic beer for the masses), has become a trademark in the series, although it wasn't planned as such. The series was made on a low budget with lots of improvisation, and the actors thought at one point that it would be funny for the five characters to be continuously drinking beer. Between takes, they went into the nearest Aldi store and simply bought the cheapest beer they could find, and it made the brand quite popular.
The first two seasons the series (which only appeared online) was called 'New Kids on the Block', named after the 90's boy band New Kids on the Block.