The New Odd Couple was the second attempt to remake a series of one of Neil Simon's plays with a primarily African-American and European-American cast.
The first was Barefoot in the Park (which also premiered on September 24, 1970, the same day as the original Odd Couple series).
John Schuck also appeared as Murray the Cop, who was kept Caucasian, as was the character of Roy, who was played by Bart Braverman.
The theme music was still the same as the original series (composed by Neal Hefti), but it was played with a more updated urban arrangement.
This marked the second time Ron Glass and Demond Wilson collaborated; nearly a decade prior, they appeared together in two episodes of Sanford and Son: "Card Sharps" (S2, E6) and "Once a Thief" (S4, E15).