I also have strong memories of 1981, and that was my initial reaction too--my generation was clearly the show's target audience. But I've seen lots of people much younger than me get hooked on the show, and they tend to say things like "I love how it brings these things to life that I've only read about!" So now I'm much less sure. :) I do wonder how people from different generations might view some of the historical stuff totally differently from my generation (I was a teenager during the 80s), though. The Haig "in control" speech is a good example of something I've wondered that about.

As for what the creators have said, well, I went back and looked at the links I saved in my own journal from early on, and I do have a couple for you that wouldn't have spoilers for you in them. The treatment of the time period is touched on a little in this interview with the two showrunners. This one with showrunner Joe Weisberg also touches on it, though even more briefly (but it's an awesome interview just generally, and definitely worth reading). Also, critic Alan Sepinwall had a bunch of smart things to say about the period early on, though his focus is more on the way the show feels like it truly inhabits its time period rather than commenting on it from the outside.

All of the more recent interviews with the showrunners would have spoilers for you, so I'll spare you that!

-J