This episode has both Richard Pryor and Cleavon Little as guest stars. Richard Pryor was originally set to play Sheriff Bart in Blazing Saddles, a part that was in fact played by Cleavon Little.
Final season opener of Mod Squad is a veritable cavalcade of Silver Screen and TV show stars. Ed Asner, Richard Prior, Cesar Romero, Cleavon Little, Bradford Dillman, Stephanie Powers, Robert Reed, Barbara McNair, Claudia McNeil, Bill Quinn, Vince Howard, Jason Wingreen, Jon Shank, Victor Campos, Tuesday Knight and Bob Harks.
The magazine seen on the shelf in Captain Greer's room at the 12:40 mark (when Lassiter and the Mod Squad exit) is the October 24, 1969 issue of Time Magazine.
This two-hour fifth season premiere boasting an all-star cast faced formidable and ultimately insurmountable competition from a brand-new series debuting on CBS at the very same hour: The Foundling (1972). The rustic Depression-era family completed the season ranked #19 while the undercover urban cops trailed at #54 and received their pink slips from ABC by season's end.
Guest star Richard Pryor (Cat) failed to embrace and apply the episode's message and almost died in June 1980 after setting himself aflame while freebasing cocaine and dousing himself with rum.