Yeah, it's annoying. I think people refer to this a lot just because of things like all the mentions of Thatcher and also because of the bands in the episodes. I think the bands more than anything place it in a specific time.

But if you watch any old sitcom it's dated. Even Dwarf sometimes is, but of course a lot less so than just about any other sitcom. Actually, I think that series VI feels more dated than earlier series, not because of the content but 'cause it's more sitcomy. It's the only time to me that Dwarf feels like a '90s sitcom. I reckon the first 3 series have a more timeless feel.

Cultural references and clothes aren't what make something feel dated - it's more to do with the inherent style, pace and attitude of the piece. This can manifest in things like a plot progressing too slowly, shots being too long, or stuff like women being represented as inferior to men.

These are the things that make a piece difficult for a modern audience to take in. Speaking as a Young Ones fan who wasn't even born when the series was made, it is clearly not dated.

Also, if a series is good enough, the fact that the clothes and references are out-of-date means new viewers can see the show as a sort of historical piece. I see it as 'so this is what students were like in the early 80s'. I know it's wildly exaggerated and probably not representative of every student of the time, but then the same can be said of the likes of Dad's Army and Blackadder, which have similar appeal.