In the Heat of the Night (TV series)

In the Heat of the Night
Foreground: Carroll O'Connor; left middle: Howard Rollins; back row left to right: Hugh O'Connor; David Hart; Geoffrey Thorne; Alan Autry
Genre	Police procedural Crime drama
Based on	Characters created by John Ball
Developed by	James Lee Barrett
Starring	Carroll O'Connor Howard Rollins Alan Autry Anne-Marie Johnson David Hart Christian LeBlanc Lois Nettleton Geoffrey Thorne Hugh O'Connor Carl Weathers Crystal R. Fox Denise Nicholas
Theme music composer	Quincy Jones Alan and Marilyn Bergman
Opening theme	performed by Bill Champlin
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	7
No. of episodes	142 + 4 TV movies (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Fred Silverman Juanita Bartlett David Moessinger Carroll O'Connor
Production company(s)	The Fred Silverman Company Jadda Productions Juanita Bartlett Productions MGM/UA Television Productions MGM Television
Distributor	MGM Television
Release
Original network	NBC (1988–1992) CBS (1992–1995)
Original release	March 6, 1988 (1988-03-06) – May 16, 1995 (1995-05-16)
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

In the Heat of the Night is an American police procedural crime drama television series loosely based on the 1967 film and 1965 novel of the same title. It starred Emmy winner Carroll O'Connor as police chief Bill Gillespie and Emmy and Oscar-nominated actor Howard Rollins as police detective Virgil Tibbs, and was broadcast on NBC from March 6, 1988, until May 19, 1992, then on CBS from October 28, 1992, until May 16, 1995. Its executive producers were Fred Silverman, Juanita Bartlett, and O'Connor.

Premise

The show itself is a sequel to the 1967 film, set several years in the future. In the premiere episode, Philadelphia homicide detective and criminal profiler Virgil Tibbs has returned to his hometown of Sparta, Mississippi, for his mother's funeral. Under his relationship with Bill Gillespie, the white police chief fostered during a previous murder investigation in which he assisted, Tibbs is persuaded by the mayor to remain in Sparta as Chief of Detectives. The events of the first film, although 21 years in the past, are said to have occurred "a few years ago" in a type of retcon to explain the ages of the characters.

Mayor Findlay himself has an ulterior motive for hiring Tibbs: he wants to have some kind of record on civil rights to run for Congress, and hiring Tibbs to integrate the all-white Sparta police department would help to overcome the local squad's reputation of being racist and underskilled — and it also benefits him. Although the team suffers friction over Tibbs' dissatisfaction with the department's limited resources and racial attitudes, and Gillespie is annoyed at the detective's condescending suspicions about his hometown, the two men prove highly effective in enforcing the law.

At the beginning of the seventh season, Tibbs takes a leave of absence, moving to Jackson, Mississippi, to complete his law degree on a compressed schedule. Upon his return to Sparta, he and his wife Althea have separated, and they later divorce. She moves back to Philadelphia with their twins to be near her parents. Through the hard work of Sparta Councilwoman Harriet DeLong, Tibbs is able to retire and keep his city pension, although he was two months shy of the qualifying period. He begins practicing law when he accepts a position in Ben Taylor's law office. Rollins' final appearance on the series was February 2, 1994.

Meanwhile, the Sparta city council dismisses Gillespie as chief of police. The council selects Hampton Forbes (Carl Weathers) to take Gillespie's place. Forbes is the town's first African American to serve in that position. Gillespie finds a new post of equivalent authority as county sheriff. The two senior police officials find that they get along excellently, in both professional and personal spheres.

Themes

The show dealt with a variety of issues, including racism, police brutality, interracial relationships, hate crimes, drug trafficking, drug addiction, alcoholism, AIDS, misogyny, incest, child abuse, sexual harassment, euthanasia, anti-Semitism, political corruption, prostitution, domestic violence, mental disorders, dysfunctional families, suicide, capital punishment, poverty, and drunk driving.

Season-by-season overview

Main article: List of In the Heat of the Night episodes

The following are a list of episodes of the television series In the Heat of the Night, which aired from 1988 through 1995.

Series overview

Most of this series has been released on DVD by TGG Direct.

Season		Network	Episodes	Premiered:	Ended:	DVD set release date:
	1	NBC	8	1988.03.06	1988.05.03	2012.08.30
	2	NBC	22	1988.12.04	1989.05.16	2014.03.11 1
	3	NBC	22	1989.10.24	1990.05.08
	4	NBC	22	1990.09.18	1991.04.30	2013.12.10 2
	5	NBC	22	1991.10.01	1992.05.19	2013.12.10 3
	6	CBS	22	1992.10.28	1993.05.12	2014.11.03 4
	7	CBS	24	1993.09.16	1994.05.11	2014.11.03 5
	TV-movies	CBS	4	1994.10.21	1995.05.16	2013.04.16

¹ Due to clearance issues, 16 episodes were not included in this DVD set.

² Due to clearance issues, 2 episodes were not included in this DVD set.

³ Due to clearance issues, 3 episodes were not included in this DVD set.

⁴ Due to clearance issues, 1 episode was not included in this DVD set.

⁵ Due to clearance issues, 5 episodes were not included in this DVD set.

NBC

Season 1: 1988

#	Title	Director	Writer	Original airdate	Production Code
1	"Pilot: Part 1"	David Hemmings	James Lee Barrett	March 6, 1988 (1988-03-06)	7801A
Virgil Tibbs returns to Sparta and joins the police force as chief of detectives. His arrival is met with resistance from police chief Bill Gillespie - who, despite his good relationship with Tibbs, resents having an officer hired without his approval. Virgil has trouble adjusting to the small, antiquated police force. Tibbs' first case is a racially charged murder case that is soon complicated when the suspect is murdered in his cell.
2	"Pilot: Part 2"	David Hemmings	James Lee Barrett	March 6, 1988 (1988-03-06)	7801B
The investigation into the brutal murders of a young girl and the suspect in her death, leads Tibbs and Gillespie to the son of one of Sparta's wealthiest and most influential citizens. As they come closer to the truth things become dangerous for Virgil.
3	"Road Kill"	Leo Penn	Kathy McCormick	March 15, 1988 (1988-03-15)	7802
The affair between the husband of a wealthy woman and her distant cousin leads to her murder. Virgil immediately suspects the pair. But he has a difficult time persuading Gillespie, who is a long time friend of the man and Bubba, who has been seeing the cousin. Bubba and Virgil clash again and Virgil is frustrated when the Chief rejects his theory about the crime.
4	"Fate"	Anthony Wilkinson	Richard Fielder	March 22, 1988 (1988-03-22)	7804
Racial tensions run high when a married white woman has an affair with a black businessman from New York. Meanwhile Virgil is not happy when the Chief enlists his aid in tracking down Bubba's cousin, a suspected moonshiner.
5	"Blind Spot: Part 1"	David Hemmings	William Gray	March 29, 1988 (1988-03-29)	7805
Virgil refuses to let go of a grudge against a wealthy former classmate who cheated him out of a scholarship. The man has promised city leaders that he will move his business to Sparta, but not all of his business interests are legal. The nephew of an old friend of Gillespie's finds his life in danger after he steals drugs stored in the businessman's mansion.
6	"Blind Spot: Part 2"	David Hemmings	William Gray	April 5, 1988 (1988-04-05)	7806
An angry Gillespie seeks answers when an old friend is shot. And Virgil narrowly escapes death after trying to ascertain the real reason behind an old adversary's return to Sparta. Nan finds herself in danger after she finds out the truth about her new love.
7	"A Necessary Evil"	Winrich Kolbe	Josef Anderson	April 12, 1988 (1988-04-12)	7803
In this humorous episode Virgil and the Chief arrest a man for bigamy. It soon becomes a polygamy case after an endless parade of wives come to visit their husband.
8	"...And Then You Die"	Anthony Wilkinson	Kathy McCormick	May 3, 1988 (1988-05-03)	7807
The Sparta police search for a killer and his girlfriend. But the case becomes personal when they take Althea and the grandson of one of the victims hostage.

Season 2: 1988-1989

#	Title	Director	Writer(s)	Original airdate	Production Code
9	"Don't Look Back: Part 1"	Peter Levin	Jeri Taylor, David Moessinger	December 4, 1988 (1988-12-04)	8804A
A copycat recreates a shocking unsolved murder from the past. Gillespie feels threatened after Ted Marcus suggests that Virgil should become the Chief. The situation becomes more tense after Virgil criticizes Parker and Bubba's actions.
10	"Don't Look Back: Part 2"	Peter Levin	Jeri Taylor, David Moessinger	December 4, 1988 (1988-12-04)	8804B
Tibbs, Gillespie and Bubba pursue different leads in a bizarre murder case and the Chief realizes that the killer has plans for him.
11	"The Family Secret"	Lee H. Katzin	Nancy Bond	December 6, 1988 (1988-12-06)	8801
The murder of a well respected man turns up a shocking secret about his family.
12	"The Hammer and the Glove"	Harry Harris	Jeri Taylor	December 13, 1988 (1988-12-13)	8806
Virgil is delighted when Matthew his former partner from Philadelphia comes to visit. But he soon learns his friend has another purpose for coming to Sparta. Althea is uncomfortable because she and Matthew were romantically involved before she met Virgil and she realizes that he is unwilling to accept the fact that she chose Virgil over him. Meanwhile the F.B.I. enlist Sparta P.D.'s aid in hiding a witness.
13	"Prisoners"	Russ Mayberry	Lee Maddux	December 20, 1988 (1988-12-20)	8805
Sweet risks his life to prove that the Sheriff of a neighboring county is guilty of the racially motivated murder of a young man that Sweet was friends with in high school.
14	"Hot Nights"	Harry Harris	Mark Edens	December 27, 1988 (1988-12-27)	8807
Bubba is seduced by an alluring writer who has more on her mind than romance. Bill and Virgil worry that he is in over his head. Bubba tries to protect her from her estranged husband, but things get complicated after she shoots someone.
15	"Gunshots"	Lee H. Katzin	David Moessinger	January 3, 1989 (1989-01-03)	8811
Virgil is forced to shoot a suspect in an armed robbery. He has trouble dealing with the consequences of his actions, after he realizes the person he shot was a teenaged girl - and no one can locate the gun he believed she was pointing at him.
16	"Country Mouse, City Mouse"	Vincent McEveety	Lee Maddux	January 10, 1989 (1989-01-10)	8812
Virgil's visiting niece and Bubba's nephew team up in an effort to escape the boredom of small town life.But they get more excitement than they bargained for when they cross paths with a dangerous parolee.
17	"Stranger in Town"	Michael Rhodes	Jordan Budde	January 17, 1989 (1989-01-17)	8802
Gillespie suspects that JoAnn's new cook is connected to the murder of a young prostitute. But Virgil suspects the culprit maybe a local pimp who has been intimidating the women.
18	"Tear Down the Walls"	Vincent McEveety	Terry Erwin	January 31, 1989 (1989-01-31)	8808
A minister who was integrating his church (by inviting Virgil and Althea to attend services) is poisoned.
19	"A Trip Upstate"	Jeffrey Hayden	Carroll O'Connor	February 7, 1989 (1989-02-07)	8803
In this thought provoking episode, Gillespie is surprised when a man he arrested asks to see him on the eve of his execution. He must confront his feelings about the death penalty when the prisoner asks him to witness his death.
20	"A.K.A. Kelly Kay"	Chuck Bowman	Lee Maddux	February 14, 1989 (1989-02-14)	8813
The past comes back to haunt JoAnn in the form of an escaped convict.
21	"These Things Take Time"	Michael Rhodes	Nancy Bond	February 21, 1989 (1989-02-21)	8809
A teenage mother from an impoverished family is arrested for murder after her infant is found dead, but Virgil believes there is more to the case than meets the eye. Meanwhile Althea believes the situation could have been prevented if the school had offered sex education classes.
22	"Intruders"	Chuck Bowman	Steven Baum	March 7, 1989 (1989-03-07)	8817
The police search for a burglar who preys on elderly women. And the prime suspect is the son of a city councilwoman.
23	"The Creek"	Alexander Singer	Jo William Philipp	March 14, 1989 (1989-03-14)	8810
The investigation of a possible assault brings back nightmarish and confusing childhood memories for Virgil.
24	"Sister, Sister"	Lee H. Katzin	Carol Saraceno	March 21, 1989 (1989-03-21)	8818
A vivacious socialites return to Sparta delights her ailing father and childhood friend Virgil, but her sister is less than thrilled at her homecoming. After their father is poisoned the jealous siblings become suspects in his murder.
25	"Walkout"	Russ Mayberry	Steven Aspis	March 28, 1989 (1989-03-28)	8816
A bitter strike at a local factory leads to a murder investigation on a snowy day in Sparta.
26	"Accused"	Chuck Bowman	James Novack	April 4, 1989 (1989-04-04)	8820
Bubba tries to rescue a woman from a rapist, but she mistakes him for her attacker. Gillespie tangles with an ambitious district attorney who plans to use the case to further his career.
27	"Fifteen Forever"	Vincent McEveety	Nancy Bond	April 25, 1989 (1989-04-25)	8814
Sparta grieves after a drunk driver causes a fatal crash with high school cheerleaders on their way home from a game. While the officers try to find other driver, Althea tries to help the victim's families deal with their loss. The accident brings back painful memories for retired officer Tom Dugan. Meanwhile, district attorney Dutton accuses the department of being inadequate.
28	"Ladybug, Ladybug"	Alexander Singer	Terry Erwin	May 2, 1989 (1989-05-02)	8815
With the Chief in Quantico Bubba and Virgil try to catch a serial arsonist. Things get complicated after a man dies in one of the fires. And Councilwoman White stirs things up by appointing Tom Dugan acting chief of police in Gillespie's absence.
29	"The Pig Woman of Sparta"	David Moessinger	Marc Taylor	May 9, 1989 (1989-05-09)	8821
It seems that a serial killer has been burying his victims in a wooded area owned by a wealthy hermit that Virgil refers to as "Sparta's Howard Hughes". Suspicion immediately falls on an eccentric woman who lives in the woods with her pigs and chases away trespassers with a shotgun. The officers ask the landowner's disturbed son for help and Bubba is surprised to find that a woman he attended high school with is working as the man's "nurse". Also Parker and Sweet compete with one another to solve the case.
30	"Missing"	Alexander Singer	David Rupel	May 16, 1989 (1989-05-16)	8819
Gillespie is kidnapped and Virgil believes that Tom Dugan is involved.

Season 3: 1989-1990

#	Title	Director	Writer(s)	Original airdate	Production Code
31	"Rape"	Paul Lynch	Nancy Bond	October 24, 1989 (1989-10-24)	9803
Virgil struggles to help Althea after she is raped by a fellow teacher. Darnell does not think they can get a conviction because the man's wife has given him an alibi. Virgil tries to control his anger - until the man returns to intimidate Althea. And Gillespie tries to convince the wife to tell the truth.
32	"Fairest of Them All"	Mario Azzopardi	Edward DeBlasio	October 31, 1989 (1989-10-31)	9801
A beauty pageant is marred by blackmail and the ambitious mother of a contestant.
33	"Murder Most Ancient"	Winrich Kolbe	Edward DeBlasio	November 7, 1989 (1989-11-07)	9807
An unhappy wife asks her lover to place a bomb in her abusive husband's Cadillac.
34	"First Girl"	Gene Reynolds	Carroll O'Connor	November 14, 1989 (1989-11-14)	9802
Sparta P.D. gets its first black policewoman.
35	"Crackdown"	E.W. Swackhamer	Nancy Bond	November 21, 1989 (1989-11-21)	9810
Someone is selling crack to teenagers and Sweet tries desperately to save a young addict.
36	"Anniversary"	Harry Harris	Mark Rodgers	November 28, 1989 (1989-11-28)	9812
Follow up to "Missing". After being released by his captors, the chief discovers that his abduction is part of a plot to assassinate a visiting civil rights leader.
37	"Time of the Stranger"	Ivan Dixon	Mark Rodgers	December 5, 1989 (1989-12-05)	9804
After a private investigator searching for a missing child is found dead, the evidence points to a local dance teacher - a neighbor that Parker has become very fond of.
38	"Vengeance"	E.W. Swackhamer	Mark Rodgers	December 12, 1989 (1989-12-12)	9817
An outlaw family seeks revenge against Bubba after he is forced to shoot one of them during a holdup. The chief wants him to stay out of sight until they are arrested - a suggestion that does not set well with Bubba.
39	"My Name is Hank"	Harry Harris	Edward DeBlasio	December 19, 1989 (1989-12-19)	9815
A young refugee claims to be the son of a Sparta cop who died in the Vietnam War. But he quickly becomes a suspect in a murder/robbery after he accepts a ride with the criminals who actually committed the crime. Gillespie looks into his story, while Virgil and the boys track down the shooter. Meanwhile, the young mans presence triggers a surprisingly bitter reaction from Parker, who views him as a painful reminder of the war.
40	"King's Ransom"	Jeffrey Hayden	Kim Friese, Carroll O'Connor	January 2, 1990 (1990-01-02)	9814
The F.B.I. tries to talk an ex-boxer into testifying against a mobster he once worked for, but the fighter sees the situation as an opportunity for blackmail.
41	"Epitaph for a Lady"	Vincent McEveety	Steven Baum	January 16, 1990 (1990-01-16)	9805
A long time friend of the Chief makes threats against a doctor he believes is responsible for his wife's death. When the doctor is killed he becomes the prime suspect. But Gillespie doubts his guilt - even after he confesses.
42	"Triangle"	Chuck Bowman	Rick Kelbaugh	January 23, 1990 (1990-01-23)	9818
A man murders his wife and her lover after he catches them together, then flees to a remote cabin with his daughter who does not know what he has done. The chief and the boys hope to talk him into surrendering without resorting to violence.
43	"Hello in There"	Vincent McEveety	Cynthia Deming, William Royce	January 30, 1990 (1990-01-30)	9821
Bubba refuses to believe that a former teammate embezzled funds from the bank where he worked. And sets out to prove that his friend was framed and murdered. Harriet hopes that art therapy can help the man's traumatized son, who becomes a target himself when the killer realizes he witnessed the crime.
44	"December Days"	Vincent McEveety	Kim Friese	February 13, 1990 (1990-02-13)	9816
The Sparta police investigate a suspicious death in a nursing home.
45	"A Loss of Innocence"	Paul Lynch	Cynthia Deming, William Royce, Stephen Schneck	February 20, 1990 (1990-02-20)	9823
Darnell plans on indicting a teenager for murder after her father is found in the basement and her mother turns up missing. But Gillespie and his men don't believe she is guilty.
46	"Bubba's Baby"	Jeffrey Hayden	Edward DeBlasio	February 27, 1990 (1990-02-27)	9820
Someone abandons a baby at Bubba's door.
47	"Home is Where The Heart Is"	Leo Penn	Carroll O'Connor	March 6, 1990 (1990-03-06)	9822
Maybelle the madam returns to Sparta with her "nieces". And sets up shop just out of Gillespie's jurisdiction. Her return is not without controversy and soon one of her most vocal critics is found murdered.
48	"An Angry Woman"	Winrich Kolbe	Carroll O'Connor	March 13, 1990 (1990-03-13)	9809
First the mother, then the father of two young children are murdered. Althea takes responsibility for the children. The killings appear to be related to a shady trucking firm.
49	"Indiscretions"	Vince Edwards	Nancy Bond	March 20, 1990 (1990-03-20)	9811
Althea does not realize that an old friend from Philly is hiding a dark secret, nor does Sweet who has fallen in love with the woman.
50	"Night of the Killing"	Chuck Bowman	Mark Rodgers	March 27, 1990 (1990-03-27)	9819
Racial tensions run high when a white cabbie is murdered in the bottoms.
51	"Citizen Trundel: Part 1"	Leo Penn	Carroll O'Connor	May 1, 1990 (1990-05-01)	9813
Harriet's sister is murdered on the orders of the wealthy white man who fathered her child.
52	"Citizen Trundel: Part 2"	Harry Harris	Cynthia Deming, William Royce	May 8, 1990 (1990-05-08)	9824
Harriet's efforts to bring V.J. Trundel to trial are fruitless. The Chief does not believe they will ever get enough evidence to get an indictment, so he tries another method to bring Trundel to justice.

Season 4: 1990-1991

#	Title	Director	Writer(s)	Original airdate	Production Code
53	"Brotherly Love: Part 1"	Harry Harris	William Royce	September 18, 1990 (1990-09-18)	3805A
Virgil goes to Philadelphia to investigate a friends death. And Bubba (reluctantly) fills in as Althea's Lamaze coach.
54	"Brotherly Love: Part 2"	Harry Harris	Cynthia Deming	September 18, 1990 (1990-09-18)	3805B
Virgil is framed for murder and Gillespie travels to Philly to help him clear his name.
55	"Lessons Learned"	Mario Azzopardi	Cynthia Deming	September 25, 1990 (1990-09-25)	3802
Gillespie sends Parker to confirm suspicions that a local truck stop is really a front for a prostitution business. When a young prostitute is found dead Gillespie is shocked at her fathers reaction. Parker is dismayed when he recognizes one of the ladies.
56	"Perversions of Justice"	Harry Harris	Robert Bielak	October 2, 1990 (1990-10-02)	3810
A mild mannered school teacher is accused of child molestation.
57	"And Justice For Some"	Harry Harris	William Royce, Michael Thurman	October 23, 1990 (1990-10-23)	3803
Gillespie and his officers are outraged when a drug courier who ran down the son of Virgil's next door neighbor makes a deal with the F.B.I. to avoid prosecution.
58	"Heart of Gold"	Russ Mayberry	Mitchell Schneider	October 30, 1990 (1990-10-30)	3815
Bubba is reunited with his high school sweetheart, but his happiness is short lived after she resorts to murder to silence an attorney who was threatening to stop her from inheriting her late husband's estate.
59	"Quick Fix"	Winrich Kolbe	Julie Friedgen	November 6, 1990 (1990-11-06)	3809
The investigation into the death of an abandoned infant leads to a mentally handicapped teenager.
60	"Homecoming"	Russ Mayberry	Robert Bielak	November 13, 1990 (1990-11-13)	3817
A lawyer has personal reasons for trying to gain early release for a man who was sent to prison after an accident he caused while drinking and driving.
61	"A Problem Too Personal"	Winrich Kolbe	Carroll O'Connor	November 20, 1990 (1990-11-20)	3819
Harriet and Eugene are devastated after Gene's father is arrested for murder.
62	"A Final Arrangement"	Leo Penn	David Hamilton, Peter Telep	November 27, 1990 (1990-11-27)	3814
Sweet is heartbroken when an elderly woman who befriended him is murdered in her bookstore.
63	"Family Matters"	Vincent McEveety	Mitchell Schneider	December 4, 1990 (1990-12-04)	3812
Virgil's dream of a better relationship with his Aunt Ruda and her son is shattered when his cousin takes part in a string of burglaries that result in murder.
64	"Bounty Hunter"	Russ Mayberry	Cynthia Deming, William Royce	December 11, 1990 (1990-12-11)	3818
Gillespie receives word that a former Spartan is wanted for the murder of a socialite in Houston. But a ruthless bounty hunter, sent by the victim's jealous husband is already in Sparta and sees the man's sister as a means to locate his quarry.
65	"Blessings"	David Soul	Walton Dornisch	December 18, 1990 (1990-12-18)	3826
In this Christmas episode the officers share memories with a reporter from the Sparta Herald.
66	"Shine on Sparta Moon"	Leo Penn	Robert Bielak	January 8, 1991 (1991-01-08)	3822
A bottle of spiked moonshine leads to an accident that claims the life of one teen and blinds another.
67	"An Execution of Trust"	Leo Penn	Mitchell Schneider	January 15, 1991 (1991-01-15)	3823
A psychiatrist tells Gillespie that one of her patients has confessed to a crime that another man is about to be executed for, but she refuses to divulge his identity.
68	"Child of Promise"	Vincent McEveety	Cynthia Deming	February 5, 1991 (1991-02-05)	3820
A story of two brothers as they struggle to influence a younger sibling. The first is an honor student that Althea has great plans for, the other a dangerous drug dealer.
69	"Paper Castles"	Vincent McEveety	Arthur Bernard Lewis	February 12, 1991 (1991-02-12)	3801
Virgil soon regrets telling an old friend that his new business partners are being investigated by the police.
70	"Laid to Waste"	Vincent McEveety	Cynthia Deming, William Royce	February 19, 1991 (1991-02-19)	3824
Parker protects a blind woman who heard her neighbors murder.
71	"First Deadly Sin"	Peter Salim	Julie Friedgen	February 26, 1991 (1991-02-26)	3821
A serial rapist stalks Sparta.
72	"Just a Country Boy"	Carroll O'Connor	Carroll O'Connor	March 19, 1991 (1991-03-19)	3811
Bubba travels to Los Angeles to arrest an arsonist. When the man is murdered to keep him from talking Bubba teams up with a pretty insurance investigator to solve the crime.
73	"No Other Road"	Paul Chavez	Carroll O'Connor	March 26, 1991 (1991-03-26)	3824
Harriet tries to keep Eugene from giving up when his father faces the death penalty. And the police search for three suspects in connection to a robbery/murder.
74	"A Turning"	Paul Chavez	Joe Gannon, Carroll O'Connor	April 30, 1991 (1991-04-30)	3827
Althea thinks Virgil needs a new line of work after seeing the aftermath of a deadly shooting at a roadhouse. Virgil finds himself in danger when they arrest the man who committed the crime.

Season 5: 1991-1992

#	Title	Director	Writer(s)	Original airdate	Production Code
75	"A Woman Much Admired"	Harry Harris	Carroll O'Connor	October 1, 1991 (1991-10-01)	4803
Gillespie's old flame returns to Sparta to settle some business matters and see Bill. When she is murdered he travels to Gulfport and meets his daughter Lana for the first time.
76	"Baby for Sale"	Harry Harris	Mitchell Schneider	October 8, 1991 (1991-10-08)	4809
After Bubba's cousin adopts a baby her husband is blackmailed by the child's real parents - they want him to help them steal the payroll where he works.
77	"Obsession"	Russ Mayberry	Mitchell Schneider	October 22, 1991 (1991-10-22)	4814
A flirtatious schoolteacher is stalked by a madman.
78	"Liar's Poker"	Harry Harris	Mitchell Schneider	October 29, 1991 (1991-10-29)	4801
A game of high-stakes poker ends in murder.
79	"Ruda's Awakening"	Russ Mayberry	Carroll O'Connor, Bill Taub	November 5, 1991 (1991-11-05)	4807
Virgil's Aunt Ruda is the only witness to a struggle between Bubba and a young robbery suspect that ends in the young mans death. But her prejudice against the police -- and Virgil clouds her memory of the incident.
80	"Unfinished Business"	Leo Penn	Joe Gannon	November 12, 1991 (1991-11-12)	4802
Follow up to "Just a Country Boy". Bubba returns to Los Angeles to testify at a murder trial and is reunited with Pat Day as they try to protect Mike from killers sent to prevent him from testifying.
81	"The More Things Change"	Russ Mayberry	Cynthia Deming, William J. Royce	November 19, 1991 (1991-11-19)	4816
A man murders his business partner and frames the man's illegitimate daughter for the crime in an attempt to gain the man's business and his wife.
82	"Sweet, Sweet Blues"	Vincent McEveety	William J. Royce	November 26, 1991 (1991-11-26)	4821
The lyrics to a blues song recall a murder that happened 50 years earlier. The victim - Sweet's grandfather. And the only people left with the answers are the bluesman who wrote the song and a retired sheriff.
83	"Sparta Gold"	Winrich Kolbe	Cynthia Deming, Joe Gannon, William J. Royce, Bill Taub	December 3, 1991 (1991-12-03)	4819
A deputy provides protection for a cotton grower who is running a pot growing operation. But the deputy makes a big mistake when he wounds Bubba's girlfriend.
84	"An Eye for an Eye"	Leo Penn	Cynthia Deming	December 10, 1991 (1991-12-10)	4813
The father of a man Gerard prosecuted kidnaps the DA's daughter.
85	"The Littlest Victim"	Paul Chavez	Gail Liberti-Kennedy	December 17, 1991 (1991-12-17)	4817
Lonnie makes a heartbreaking discovery about a woman he dated in high school.
86	"The Landlord"	Larry Hagman	Carroll O'Connor	January 7, 1992 (1992-01-07)	4818
A drug dealing slumlord is murdered by his accomplices.
87	"Fool For Love"	Vincent McEveety	Cynthia Deming, William J. Royce	January 14, 1992 (1992-01-14)	4805
A doctor plots to eliminate his wife -- and his mistress.
88	"Love, Honor and Obey"	Reza Badiyi	Cynthia Deming, William J. Royce	February 4, 1992 (1992-02-04)	4823
Parkers investigation into a purse snatching reveals an abused woman.
89	"Odessa"	Vincent McEveety	Denise Nicholas	February 11, 1992 (1992-02-11)	4822
Racists target a ceremony honoring a civil rights pioneer.
90	"A Time to Trust"	Winrich Kolbe	Patt Shea	February 18, 1992 (1992-02-18)	4808
Althea fears for one of her students after her mother's boyfriend is linked to a criminal operation that has resulted in the deaths of several truckers.
91	"By Means Most Foul"	Russ Mayberry	Joe Gannon	February 25, 1992 (1992-02-25)	4825
A restaurateur and her mechanic boyfriend plot to eliminate her husband, but their scheme backfires. Gillespie takes heat over a string of mailbox bashings. And Virgil soon regrets ignoring Parker's theory regarding where the vandals would strike next.
92	"Trundel's Will Be Done"	Harry Harris	Cynthia Deming, William J. Royce	March 3, 1992 (1992-03-03)	4826
V.J. Trundel's widow takes Harriet to court to gain custody of Eric. But Harriet is determined that her nephew will not be raised in the home of the man who ordered the murder of her sister.
93	"Moseley's Lot"	Winrich Kolbe	Joe Gannon	March 31, 1992 (1992-03-31)	4815
Gillespie learns that the son of an old friend is a compulsive gambler. The young man wants his father to pay off his losses.But when two gangsters show up from New Orleans to collect, his jealous sibling sees the perfect opportunity to get rid of his troubled brother.
94	"Family Reunion"	Harry Harris	William J. Royce	April 7, 1992 (1992-04-07)	4812
An ex-convict attempts to retrieve his loot from his wife and her new husband in this tongue-in-cheek episode.
95	"Sanctuary"	Mario Azzopardi	Mitchell Schneider	May 12, 1992 (1992-05-12)	4820
A political prisoner who entered the country illegally, seeks sanctuary in a monastery. Gillespie and Tibbs find themselves at odds with Sheriff McComb when they try to help the man.
96	"The Law on Trial"	Russ Mayberry	Mitchell Schneider	May 19, 1992 (1992-05-19)	4824
Follow up to "Sanctuary". Gillespie, Tibbs and Father DiMarco must stand trial for harboring a fugitive and obstructing justice. Althea fears Virgil's career could suffer if he is found guilty. Meanwhile the other officers monitor the situation with Lawyer Epp and his mafia associates.

CBS

Season 6: 1992-1993

#	Title	Director	Writer(s)	Original airdate	Production Code
97	"A Small War: Part 1"	Harry Harris	Joe Gannon	October 28, 1992 (1992-10-28)	5802
Big city crack dealers invade Sparta. Eugene witnesses the drive by shooting of a friend and his offer to help the police identify the shooters leaves Harriet frightened and angry at Bill.
98	"A Small War: Part 2"	Harry Harris	Joe Gannon	November 4, 1992 (1992-11-04)	5803
The police wage war against the big city drug dealers who have moved into Sparta. Eugene identifies the men who murdered his friend. And Bubba is teamed with and intrigued by a lady police lieutenant from Jackson.
99	"Brother's Keeper"	Winrich Kolbe	William J. Royce	November 11, 1992 (1992-11-11)	5809
Luann's ne'er-do-well brother returns home after being paroled.
100	"A Frenzied Affair"	Winrich Kolbe	Mitchell Schneider	November 18, 1992 (1992-11-18)	5814
Althea places herself in harms way trying to help one of her students, a disturbed and violent young man; after he is implicated in a murder case.
101	"Discovery"	Paul Chavez	Carroll O'Connor, Mitchell Schneider	November 18, 1992 (1992-11-18)	5817
Follow up to "A Frenzied Affair". Althea has trouble dealing with the violent death of a student. Young Megan Fowler quickly finds herself yet another dangerous boyfriend and they are soon wanted by the police.
102	"Random's Child"	Leo Penn	Carroll O'Connor	November 25, 1992 (1992-11-25)	5812
Lana Gillespie comes to Sparta to claim her inheritance, but is stalked by a mobster who dated her mother. Meanwhile Harriet encourages Bill to talk to his daughter, but Lana doesn't seem to be interested. Officer Randy Goode helps keep the bad guys at bay by playing them a little tune on the guitar.
103	"An Occupational Hazard"	Vincent McEveety	Cynthia Deming	December 2, 1992 (1992-12-02)	5806
A secretary takes drastic measures to protect herself from sexual harassment.
104	"Last Rights"	Vincent McEveety	Mitchell Schneider	December 9, 1992 (1992-12-09)	5801
Virgil fears for his Aunt Ruda's safety after several killings occur in the hospital where she is being treated.
105	"When the Music Stopped"	Russ Mayberry	Carroll O'Connor	December 16, 1992 (1992-12-16)	5808
Singer Eddie Larran returns to Sparta for a concert, but not everyone is a fan. An angry man insists that Eddie owes him money. And their dispute soon ends in violence.
106	"Flowers from a Lady"	Russ Mayberry	Denise Nicholas	January 6, 1993 (1993-01-06)	5810
A city councilwoman becomes dangerously obsessed with Bubba.
107	"Private Sessions"	Russ Mayberry	Cynthia Deming	January 13, 1993 (1993-01-13)	5813
One of Virgil's classmates from law school is arrested following the death of his former girlfriend, but the man insists that her death was the result of her relationship with her psychiatrist.
108	"Judgment Day"	Larry Hagman	TBA	January 20, 1993 (1993-01-20)	5818
A judge schemes to get rid of his wife after she tries to blackmail him into giving her a divorce and a generous settlement by revealing a secret from his past.
109	"Falsely Accused"	Reza Badiyi	Joe Gannon	February 3, 1993 (1993-02-03)	5820
Sweet is the target of false accusations by two corrupt and racist car salesmen.
110	"A Step Removed"	Paul Chavez	Mitchell Schneider	February 10, 1993 (1993-02-10)	5824
Parker's stepfather Roy threatens his former employer after an altercation. When the boss is murdered Roy is arrested.
111	"A Deadly Affection"	Vincent McEveety	Joe Gannon	February 17, 1993 (1993-02-17)	5825
A woman asks Harriet to help her get an eviction order rescinded. The chief gives Parker a new radar gun - and soon comes to regret it. Sheriff McComb requests that Gillespie and Bubba help investigate a murder. Meanwhile Lonnie and Luann search for the boy who reported the murder.
112	"The Leftover Man: Part 1"	Larry Hagman	Carroll O'Connor	March 3, 1993 (1993-03-03)	5804
A white supremacist politician plans to have his wife's lover murdered and blame it on black radicals.
113	"The Leftover Man: Part 2"	Larry Hagman	Carroll O'Connor	March 3, 1993 (1993-03-03)	5805
A white supremacist politician plans to have his wife's lover murdered and blame it on black radicals.
114	"A Dish Best Served Cold"	Reza Badiyi	Cynthia Deming, William J. Royce	March 17, 1993 (1993-03-17)	5823
A swindlers homecoming upsets his wife and the families of his victims - especially Etta.
115	"Legacy"	Paul Chavez	Denise Nicholas	March 24, 1993 (1993-03-24)	5821
A wealthy man plans to grant a promise made to a black sharecropper many years ago by giving land to the man's descendant. But his greedy son disapproves.
116	"Even Nice People"	Carroll O'Connor	Carroll O'Connor	April 28, 1993 (1993-04-28)	5822
Corrupt developers set their sights on Lana's farm. When she refuses to sell they enlist the services of an arsonist to force her out.
117	"Lake Winahatchie"	Harry Harris	Cynthia Deming	May 5, 1993 (1993-05-05)	5819
Follow up to "Even Nice People". Bill discovers the motivation behind a crime syndicates attempt to muscle in on Sparta and the reason they are determined to get Lana's land.
118	"A Correct Settling"	Harry Harris	Carroll O'Connor	May 12, 1993 (1993-05-12)	5826
Eugene hopes a well known minister can save his father from Death Row. But someone runs the Reverend off the road on his way into town and the Sparta police try to protect him and track down his assailant. Meanwhile Harriet struggles with what her part in her ex-husbands appeal should be and is even more unsettled when Eugene demands that she break up with Bill.

Season 7: 1993-1994

#	Title	Director	Writer(s)	Original airdate	Production Code
119	"Child's Play"	Harry Harris	Mitchell Schneider	September 16, 1993 (1993-09-16)	2806
Chief Gillespie is fired by the city council and Sparta's new police chief Hampton Forbes arrives in town. Bill's last case with Sparta P.D. is a murder investigation in which a young boy has been implicated.
120	"Hatton's Turn: Part 1"	Carroll O'Connor	Carroll O'Connor	September 18, 1993 (1993-09-18)	2809
Hampton Forbes assumes the office of Chief of Police and Bill becomes the Sheriff of Newman County. Former Spartan Wade Hatton returns to Sparta hoping to make sense of his life and rekindle his relationship with Sarah Hallisey. Bubba and Covey take the new chief on a tour of Sparta and Bill takes Wade to visit some distant cousins. Meanwhile two young criminals involve a mentally handicapped young man in a terrible crime.
121	"Hatton's Turn: Part 2"	Carroll O'Connor	Carroll O'Connor	September 18, 1993 (1993-09-18)	2810
Wade and Sarah try to keep young Henry from being punished for a crime he did not commit and Forbes and his officers search for the two men who are really responsible.
122	"A Depraved Heart"	Harry Harris	Cynthia Deming, William J. Royce	September 23, 1993 (1993-09-23)	2805
The daughter of an old friend asks Bubba to arrest the man who knowingly gave her AIDS.
123	"Incident at Brewer's Pond"	Russ Mayberry	Terry Kay	September 30, 1993 (1993-09-30)	2801
A night of revelry at a local pond turns deadly.
124	"A Love Lost"	Larry Hagman	Joe Gannon	October 14, 1993 (1993-10-14)	2807
Lana's ex- boyfriend comes to see her and brings a load of stolen rifles with him.
125	"Singin' the Blues"	Gail Liberti-Kennedy	Cynthia Deming	October 28, 1993 (1993-10-28)	2813
Luann moonlights as a singer at a nightclub and finds romance with the clubs owner. Her happiness is short-lived when she realizes that the bartender is dealing drugs.
126	"Virgil Tibbs: Attorney at Law"	Charles Mills	Mitchell Schneider	November 4, 1993 (1993-11-04)	2812
Attorney Virgil Tibbs returns to Sparta and is soon assigned his first case as a defense attorney.
127	"Every Man's Family"	Harry Harris	Cynthia Deming, William J. Royce	November 10, 1993 (1993-11-10)	2815
Bubba travels to Atlanta to help his nephew after the boy overdoses on drugs. He soon teams up with a street wise cop to take down the drug ring.
128	"A Baby Called Rocket"	Paul Chavez	Gina Barnett	October 25, 1993 (1993-10-25)	2814
A neglected baby stirs maternal feelings in Luann.
129	"Little Girl Lost"	Larry Hagman	Denise Nicholas	December 9, 1993 (1993-12-09)	2819
Tragic story of an alcoholic teen who accidentally kills a little girl while she is drinking and driving.
130	"Your Own Kind"	Dick Martin	Denise Nicholas	December 16, 1993 (1993-12-16)	2808
Gillespie and Forbes investigate the attempted shooting of an interracial high school couple. Meanwhile, Harriet holds a fundraiser to raise money for pregnant teens at her art studio.
131	"Good Cop, Bad Cop"	Winrich Kolbe	Cynthia Deming	January 6, 1994 (1994-01-06)	2823
Virgil defends Parker after he is falsely accused of police brutality by a drug dealer. The prosecution's main witness - the man's girlfriend, who was once engaged to Parker.
132	"Maybelle Returns"	Russ Mayberry	Joe Gannon	January 12, 1994 (1994-01-12)	2811
Maybelle's new phone sex business is a great success - until one of her girls decides to moonlight as a prostitute.
133	"The Last Round"	Reza Badiyi	Mitchell Schneider	January 19, 1994 (1994-01-19)	2817
Forbes is delighted when his fiancée Angela comes to see him, but is disappointed when he realizes that they have very different plans for the future.
134	"Ches and the Grand Lady"	Vincent McEveety	Carroll O'Connor	January 26, 1994 (1994-01-26)	2818
Follow up to "Sweet, Sweet Blues". Lonnie must protect his Aunt Cordelia when her cherished friendship with Ches Collins angers one of his cousins.
135	"Conspiracy of One"	Joe Gannon	Joe Gannon	February 2, 1994 (1994-02-02)	2820
Virgil accepts a position at a prominent law firm. But as a former police officer he feels conflicting emotions when he realizes that one of their clients is guilty of murder.
136	"The Rabbi"	Winrich Kolbe	David O'Connor, Elyse O'Connor	February 9, 1994 (1994-02-09)	2816
A Rabbi (Jerry Stiller) returns to Sparta after many years. Racists vandalize his synagogue and soon after their Torah is stolen. Forbes investigates but the Rabbi refuses to trust Bill because of his inaction while investigating a hate crime many years ago.
137	"Hard Choices"	Russ Mayberry	Gina Barnett	March 9, 1994 (1994-03-09)	2802
Eugene tries to protect a friend who was an unwilling accomplice to a robbery and in doing so endangers his probation -- and his life.
138	"Time's Long Shadow"	Paul Chavez	David O'Connor, Elyse O'Connor	March 16, 1994 (1994-03-16)	2803
Harriet tries to stop an arrogant developer from destroying an important archeological site.
139	"Poor Relations"	Reza Badiyi	Denise Nicholas, Carroll O'Connor	March 30, 1994 (1994-03-30)	2822
Follow up to "A Step Removed". Comedic episode in which Parker's ne'er-do-well stepfather returns to Sparta with a new wife, a stolen painting and two inept art thieves who are determined to steal the painting back.
140	"Dangerous Engagement"	Vincent McEveety	Mitchell Schneider	May 4, 1994 (1994-05-04)	2821
Bill and Harriet's wedding plans are interrupted by a sniper who mistakes Bill for Sheriff McComb.
141	"Give Me Your Life: Part 1"	Russ Mayberry	John Ball, Cynthia Deming, Carroll O'Connor, William J. Royce	May 11, 1994 (1994-05-11)	2824A
Part 1 of a two-part series finale. Bill and Harriet travel to New Orleans for their honeymoon. Forbes learns that a cult which has rented an old school building may be involved in child abuse and other illegal activities. While inspecting the premises Bubba and Dee rescue a frightened young girl. Bubba finds a foster home for the girl but the girl's mother tries to regain custody in court - with Sarah Hallisey as their attorney.
142	"Give Me Your Life: Part 2"	Russ Mayberry	John Ball, Cynthia Deming, Carroll O'Connor, William J. Royce	May 11, 1994 (1994-05-11)	2824B
Part 2 of a two-part series finale. Bill and Harriet return home. The cult kidnaps the girl from her foster home. And Forbes and his men arrest a man who has been supplying drugs used to keep the cult members under control. Soon a standoff develops and the officers realize that they have no intention of surrendering. Sarah is taken hostage. As they attempt to rescue the women and children Lonnie and Parker find themselves defusing a bomb and Bubba risks his life to rescue a small child from the building.

Made-For-Television films: 1994-1995

#	Title	Director	Writer(s)	Original airdate	Production Code
143	"A Matter of Justice"	Reza Badiyi	Mitchell Schneider, John Ball, James Lee Barrett	October 21, 1994 (1994-10-21)	TBA
The daughter of a close friend of Forbes is murdered and the officers must prove that the deranged grandson of a retired judge is guilty.
144	"Who Was Geli Bendl?"	Larry Hagman	Carroll O'Connor	December 9, 1994 (1994-12-09)	TBA
A famous Italian actress returns to Sparta to take care of some unfinished business and rescue her younger sister from a life of drugs and poverty.
145	"By Duty Bound"	Harry Harris	John Ball, James Lee Barrett, Joe Gannon	February 17, 1995 (1995-02-17)	TBA
Acting Sheriff Gillespie must decide whether he should run for sheriff or retire from law enforcement. It soon becomes apparent that the other candidate is corrupt and dangerous.
146	"Grow Old Along With Me"	Winrich Kolbe	Cynthia Deming, John Ball, James Lee Barrett	May 16, 1995 (1995-05-16)	TBA
Ex-cop Tom Harwood's happiness with his new bride is threatened by an old flame who sees an opportunity for blackmail.

References

• In the Heat of the Night at IMDb

First season, 1988

The first season was filmed in Hammond, Louisiana. Hammond was selected by executive producer Juanita Bartlett to represent the small southern town of Sparta, Mississippi. The producers had difficulty finding usable filming locations, because other, more modern structures were close enough to be picked up in the images. Eight episodes were filmed—the two-hour pilot movie and six regular one-hour episodes. The series premiered on March 6, 1988, with the season finale airing on May 3, 1988.

Many conflicts arose between Juanita Bartlett and series star Carroll O'Connor over the writing of the series. At first, she allowed him to consult on the series per his contract. After the pilot, however, she ordered scripts from her writers. O'Connor described these as "recycled material from other crime shows". He was disappointed in the writing, feeling that the writers were taking big-city stories and imposing them on a small town. He believed that the key to this show's success was to express its small-town locale and characters through the stories. Scripts would be given to him marked "FINAL: NO REWRITES", but O'Connor often rewrote scripts anyway. This angered the production staff members, which felt they were burning up fax machines with the changes. O'Connor described Bartlett as a very arrogant person. If the show was going to be renewed, then O'Connor was not interested and threatened to quit the show if Bartlett was not replaced as executive producer.

The early episodes were gritty, raw and considered groundbreaking for that time. There was an emphasis on grisly murders or other crimes, rather than the lives of the New South-era characters, for which the series later became known.

Second season, 1988–89

Season 2 premiered on December 4, 1988, due to a writers' strike; the season introduced a new look and set of executive producers, Jeri Taylor and her husband David Moessinger, with on-location shooting moved from Louisiana to Covington, Georgia, which remained as the primary filming location of the show for the duration of the series. The season premiere was aired as a two-hour TV movie originally entitled "The Voodoo Murders", now known in syndication as "Don't Look Back". The plot revolved around a copycat murder of one that Gillespie had investigated 20 years earlier. Also, the Sparta city council was pushing Virgil Tibbs to run as a possible candidate for Chief of Police to replace Gillespie, but Virgil wasn't interested in doing so; regardless, a rumor begins that Tibbs is after Gillespie's job, causing dissension between the two men. Althea, who was a stay-at-home wife in Season 1, is offered a position as a teacher and guidance counselor at local Sparta High School by city Councilman Ted Marcus (Thom Gossom Jr.).

Gone was Christian LeBlanc, who portrayed Officer Junior Abernathy and added were two new regular characters—Joanne St. John (played by Lois Nettleton), the chief's sometime girlfriend and owner of the local diner, The Magnolia Cafe; and rookie officer Wilson Sweet (Geoffrey Thorne), fresh out of the police academy. The season also introduced the first of several new recurring characters, including Dr. Frank Robb, the county coroner (played by veteran actor Dan Biggers). "The Creek" saw the introduction of the first new police character and the second prominent Georgia performer to claim a regular role on the series, Officer Randy Goode (1988–1993) played by Randall Franks, who was cast following the show's move to Covington. "Gunshot", where Virgil experiences guilt and mental trauma after he shoots and kills a female robbery suspect, introduces a character with a criminal past who later becomes invaluable in supplying Gillespie and the Sparta P.D. with information, Jimmy Dawes (Afemo Omilami).

Plots in this season included Gillespie witnessing the execution of a man whom he arrested years ago, an episode that Carroll O'Connor wrote himself under the pseudonym Matt Harris ("A Trip Upstate").

During the filming of the episode "Walkout", Carroll O'Connor began to experience fatigue. It was discovered that he needed sextuple heart bypass surgery, due to years of heavy smoking. During the last four episodes of the season, Joe Don Baker was brought in as Tom Dugan, a replacement for Chief Gillespie, who was said to be away at a police training conference at Quantico. The episodes where Gillespie was away were "Fifteen Forever", "Ladybug, Ladybug", "The Pig Woman of Sparta" and "Missing". Dugan was appointed acting chief by Councilwoman White, but he was actually working undercover for the FBI in an attempt to stop the assassination of a civil rights preacher during a visit to the town by a white supremacist group (that is not revealed until the Season 3 episode "Anniversary"). The season finale "Missing" has the chief being kidnapped upon his return to Sparta by two men in pig masks, and the police and the FBI are trying to locate him and those responsible. O'Connor wanted the chief to undergo heart surgery in the storyline, but the husband and wife producers came up with this storyline instead. It was the final straw in a long line of complaints; these producers were fired at the end of the season, with O'Connor becoming the executive producer for season three and beyond.

When Taylor and Moessinger decided to do the show, Taylor was quoted, "I was one of those in the '60's that was out marching for civil rights," and "I was one of those who thought the major work had all been done. When we decided to do the show, we took research trips to the South, and we saw that there had been an enormous amount of change. We came back with a renewed vigor but also with the realization that there is still a lot more to be done. There is still deeply entrenched racism. And addressing that became a much larger element in our thinking about the show."

"What makes race relations a constant in our show is the two lead characters—one is white and one is black," Moessinger said. "Whether they are angry at each other, whether they're happy or sad, we're showing the interaction of two men who are trying to do the best in life. If we never put one race issue into it, if we never said one word about it, the message is there because it's showing how people ought to interrelate, how they ought to work together, how they ought to get along."

Third season, 1989–90

In the third season, Carroll O'Connor took complete control of the show, after firing husband and wife executive producing team David Moessinger and Jeri Taylor. From that point on, he brought aboard writers and showrunners who shared his vision of where he wanted the series to go.

Althea Tibbs grapples with the effects and aftermath of rape in the explosive season premiere episode titled "Rape". Upon returning home from the grocery store one afternoon after school, Althea is raped in her kitchen by Sparta High School's new music teacher, Stephen Ainslee (played by guest star Ken Marshall). Althea, Ainslee's boss, had an uneasy relationship with him from the outset because he had trouble handling her authority, and it culminated in the attack. Althea and Virgil are frustrated trying to bring Ainslee to justice because new district attorney Gerard Darnelle (Wilbur Fitzgerald) doesn't have enough evidence to prosecute him, especially a positive ID (Ainslee blindfolded Althea with her scarf during the attack, so she didn't see Ainslee's face, but she recognized his voice), and Ainslee's wife Linda provides him with an alibi saying that he was at home with her at the time that Althea was attacked. After being excoriated by Gillespie for her complicity, Linda finally comes forward and implicates her husband. Ainslee invades Virgil and Althea's home during this time and attempts to attack Althea again, but Althea fights back and Ainslee is arrested.

The second part of the Season 2 finale, "Missing", is resumed in Episode 6, entitled "Anniversary" – a decision made by O'Connor that displeased the network because the episodes were not shown in chronological order. The Season 2 cliffhanger depicted Gillespie being kidnapped and Dugan murdered; with the displacement of the episodes, it was as if none of that ever happened. O'Connor selected "Rape" to kick off Season 3 instead because he thought it was more powerful and would attract higher ratings.

The character of Joanne St. John was eliminated to make room for Sparta city Councilwoman Harriet DeLong (Denise Nicholas) as Chief Gillespie's future love interest, first as a recurring character, then later, as a main cast member. An attractive divorcée, Harriet was college-educated (an Alpha Kappa Alpha member), outspoken, and brimming with attitude, which was a turn-off to Gillespie at first and the two of them did not get along.

In "First Girl", Gillespie hires Christine Rankin, Sparta's first black policewoman. She is killed her first day on duty in a shootout with a drug dealer and murder suspect, causing Gillespie despair and guilt. As a result, he is temporarily suspended from his duties as chief of police pending an investigation and intent on seeking out Rankin's killer. Her replacement was Officer LuAnn Corbin, played by Crystal R. Fox. LuAnn would remain a prominent character throughout the rest of the series, although Fox was listed in the ending credits as a guest star until season seven where she finally appeared in the opening credits. Hiring LuAnn opens the door for more policewomen to join the force; Officer Dee Shepard (Dee Shaw) is hired later in the season.

In the two-part season finale, "Citizen Trundel" (written by O'Connor, Cynthia Deming, and William J. Royce), Harriet DeLong's sister Natalie is murdered by order of her secret lover and the married father of her nine-year-old son, millionaire businessman V.J. "Vidge" Trundel. The situation causes Harriet anguish, rage, and frustration, not only because of Natalie's murder but because Chief Gillespie is reluctant to pursue the powerful Trundel as a suspect. These are the first episodes in which we see Bill and Harriet's relationship blossom. During this period, he is able to see beyond her hardened exterior and finds a vulnerable and sensitive woman behind it; she discovers his compassionate side. From this point on, a camaraderie is formed between the two.

This story arc was of special significance to series co-star Denise Nicholas, who played Harriet DeLong. Ten years earlier, her real-life sister had been murdered and the culprit had never been caught. When Carroll O'Connor approached Nicholas about the storyline, it had upset her greatly and she had to write him a note explaining the situation, as he was unaware of the circumstances. He offered to have her not appear in the episode, but she chose to do so to bring closure for her and her family. She was able to channel her unresolved grief into the role. Only O'Connor and director Leo Penn knew the truth during filming.

Rollins' substance abuse problems

During the back half of season 3, Howard Rollins took six weeks off when he entered a drug and alcohol rehab program to battle his addiction issues. He missed five episodes: "King's Ransom", "Triangle", "Hello In There", "December Days", and "An Angry Woman". MGM worked around his rehab schedule. Episodes were not necessarily aired in the order they were filmed, which explains why Tibbs was present one week and not the next. To explain his absence, he was said to be in New Orleans working for the FBI. He considered suicide shortly before Christmas 1989, prompting his stay in rehab. Carroll O'Connor threatened to sue a tabloid which published a story saying that MGM and Carroll had fired Rollins for being absent from the set due to his problems. Denise Nicholas, who played Harriet DeLong, said "Carroll set the standard for loyalty. If he liked you, he really liked you and would be there for you."

Fourth season, 1990–91

Cynthia Deming and William J. Royce were made main story editors.

The season opens with a two-hour movie entitled "Brotherly Love" and the birth of Virgil and Althea's twins. While Althea is waiting to go into labor, Tibbs' friend and ex-colleague from the Philadelphia P.D. is found dead, and it's at first labeled as a suicide. Tibbs heads up to the big city to attend his funeral, only to learn his friend's death was not by his own hand, but murder. Tibbs soon recognizes there is corruption going on within the police department, and his friend was framed for the murder of a drug dealer. In the process of trying to clear his friend's name, he first becomes a target, then framed for murder himself. Chief Gillespie travels to Philly to get Virgil out of jail, help him solve the mystery of what happened to his friend and seek justice for him, expose the corrupt officers and make it back home to Sparta in time for the twins' birth. William and Sarah Tibbs were welcomed into the world on September 18, 1990.

Other stories include Bubba going to Los Angeles to extradite a Sparta resident responsible for a fire that killed two people, which was actually the first of two backdoor pilots for a series that featured Alan Autry, but neither were picked up by the network.

Fifth season, 1991–92

The fifth season begins with the revelation that Chief Gillespie has a 19-year-old daughter by the name of Lana Farren, played by Christine Elise (formerly of Beverly Hills, 90210). The chief is now good friends with her mother, Georgia Farren, played by actress Stella Stevens. Lana was conceived during a period where her mother was separated from her husband, and she and Gillespie had an affair. However, she was never divorced from her husband, Ken Farren.

In the episode "The More Things Change", Gillespie and Harriet share their first kiss after he drives her home after attending a party, and he finally reveals his affections for her. They both lament the very likely possibility that a relationship between the two of them would not be accepted by most in Sparta.

Other storylines include Sweet's quest to discover the truth about the murder of his grandfather in 1948 and those responsible for it (a story loosely based on the murder of Medgar Evers, "Sweet, Sweet Blues") and racists sabotaging a celebration honoring a Sparta civil rights pioneer in "Odessa", the first of six scripts that Denise Nicholas wrote. She enjoyed her role as Harriet, but was bothered about the lack of black writers on the show. She complained to Carroll O'Connor about it, and he had to admit she was right. He asked her to write a script, which she did. When she submitted it to him, he liked it so much that he encouraged her to write others for the series.

In the two-part season finale "Sanctuary" and "The Law on Trial", Sheriff McComb has Gillespie and Tibbs brought up on obstruction charges and harboring a fugitive after an escaped prisoner, who is an El Salvadoran immigrant seeking asylum, is given sanctuary in a monastery and the two don't arrest him when he refuses to give himself up. The prisoner is later shot to death in a standoff with the sheriff's department. Father DiMarco's heartfelt summation to the jury contributes to the case being dismissed (though that is not revealed until the start of Season 6). In between court appearances, Harriet pays Gillespie an inconspicuous visit and the two share a tender and romantic moment.

The conflict between Sheriff McComb and Chief Gillespie lingers on throughout the following season, and that conflict affects every crossover dealing with subsequent interactions between McComb's deputies and Gillespie's officers. It isn't until the arrival of Chief Hampton Forbes (Carl Weathers) in Season 7 that we see Sheriff McComb and Chief Gillespie as friends again.

The episode and the season end with both Gillespie and Tibbs awaiting the verdict in their respective residences the evening the case is given to the jury. At the end of the original and final broadcast on NBC, it was revealed that the jury couldn't reach a verdict, a mistrial is declared and the two men are freed. Bill and Harriet spend the night together for the first time.

Sixth season, 1992–93

At the beginning of Season 6, In the Heat of the Night moved from NBC to CBS. It was not publicly known at the time when Season 5 ended whether or not the show would continue. NBC had decided not to renew the series, although the ratings were still respectable and there were still some open-ended plots that hadn't been resolved. A deal was made with rival network CBS to keep the show on the air. Originally, CBS opted to pick up the series for only a set of six two-hour movies. However, it was eventually picked up for a full 22-episode order.

The first two episodes of the season see the secret romance between Gillespie and DeLong intensify. They frequently meet in a studio apartment that doubles as Harriet's art studio. In the midst of all this, Harriet's son Eugene is a witness to a drive-by shooting involving rival drug gangs.

Other highlights from the season include a faded country music singer (Robert Goulet) who ends up committing murder; the reconciliation between Gillespie and his estranged daughter Lana; and a two-part episode directed by Larry Hagman involves a white supremacist politician whose visit to Sparta has a couple of ulterior motives, including aspirations for a presidential run ("The Leftover Man"). Burgess Meredith (in one of his last acting roles) also appears as an eccentric judge overseeing a case (he would return for a brief cameo in Season 7.)

The season ends with Bill and Harriet forced to confront the impending execution of Harriet's ex-husband and Eugene's disapproval of their relationship.

Howard Rollins' firing

Rollins was dropped from the show due to health reasons plus three outstanding warrants in Rockdale County and the city of Covington, GA. He was replaced for season seven by Carl Weathers. Filming began on April 28, 1993. Rollins had not been seen on the set since January 1993, when season six wrapped. Despite numerous attempts by the media to contact Rollins, who was believed to be living in New York City, only series star Carroll O'Connor was in contact with Rollins during this period. It was hoped that Rollins would get his legal and personal issues resolved and return to the series — but unfortunately, that was not the case.

After season 6, Anne-Marie Johnson and Geoffrey Thorne left the series alongside Rollins. Rollins would return occasionally as a guest star, while Johnson took a starring role on the final season of Fox's sketch comedy series In Living Color.

Thorne left to pursue a career as a novelist and screenwriter; his character simply vanished from the series without any explanation.

Seventh season, 1993–94

Season 7 opens with Bill Gillespie being forced out of office and former Memphis, Tennessee Police Department Inspector Hampton Forbes (Carl Weathers) is hired as the new police chief by the city council. After nearly three decades on the Sparta police force, Gillespie does not receive a new contract from the council because his romance with Harriet is now out in the open, although other excuses are made for his dismissal. He seems to be accepting of the outcome, while Harriet doesn't hesitate to show her fury over the decision. The transition from Gillespie being in charge to Forbes taking over is slightly uneasy at the very start, but soon things smooth out.

However, Gillespie is soon appointed as the acting Sheriff of Newton County when Nathan McComb suffers a heart attack and is too ill to continue his duties. This new appointment for Gillespie angers several on the city council. They want an investigation, which is upsetting and hurtful for Harriet.

Other cases involve a nine-year-old girl being killed because of a drunk driver (Hagman directed), the return of Parker's stepfather, Roy Eversole (Pat Hingle, first seen in Season 6) and his lady friend Miss Roda (Anne Meara). Gillespie must once again confront his racist past when a new synagogue moves into Sparta and the rabbi (Jerry Stiller) detests Gillespie, who in the 1960s was serving as an officer on the Sparta Police, for his failure to oppose the then serving anti-Semitic Sparta police chief, who was then Gillespie's boss, and who refused to investigate the burning of the local synagogue back in the 1960s. Lana Farren also makes one final appearance as Bill's daughter in the Hagman-directed episode "A Love Lost", in which he must protect her from a former boyfriend who is involved in a gun-running scheme with someone in Sparta.

Virgil Tibbs returns from Jackson with his juris doctor — which explains his absence – in his new capacity as attorney in three episodes ("Virgil Tibbs: Attorney At Law", "Good Cop, Bad Cop", "Conspiracy of One") and assists the Sparta P.D. with several cases after having moved into Ben Taylor's law office. Virgil reveals to Gillespie in "Virgil Tibbs: Attorney At Law" that Althea has left him and took their twins back home to Philadelphia to live, fed up with her life in Sparta and traumatized from all that had happened to her while living there. She didn't want to make the marriage work and later files for divorce, which a heartbroken Virgil does not contest, although he has difficulty accepting his new status as a divorced man. The episode "Conspiracy of One", where Virgil suspects that one of his law firm's clients orchestrated an "accident" which resulted in his spouse's death, marks Howard Rollins' final appearance on the show (air date February 2, 1994).

In the episode "Ches and the Grand Lady", Bobby Short reprises his role as Ches Collins, the blues musician from "Sweet, Sweet Blues" in Season 5. The episode also guest stars Jean Simmons as the dying grand dame of Sparta who also happens to be Ches's old flame and the overbearing great-aunt of Lonnie Jamison. Harriet's son Eugene once again finds himself at odds with the police, endangering his parole trying to help a friend. Maybelle Chesboro (played by Elizabeth Ashley), the ex-madam, returns. (The role of Maybelle was initially played by Diane Ladd in Season 3's "Home Is Where The Heart Is".) She has returned to operate a legal phone sex business.

Finally, in "Dangerous Engagement", Gillespie and DeLong tie the knot at the same sanctuary involved in the "Sanctuary" case from Season 5. Chief Forbes serves as best man.

The season and the TV series wraps up with a two-hour movie of the week, "Give Me Your Life", starring Peter Fonda as Marcantony Appfel, leader of a religious cult in which the sexual abuse of children is rumored to have occurred. The story (by O'Connor and written by Cynthia Deming & William J. Royce) is loosely based on the real-life drama in Waco, Texas, in 1993 with the cult leader David Koresh and his followers.

TV movies and Hugh O'Connor's death

Four made-for-television movies were produced during the 1994–95 season, which was supposedly the continuation of the series. Once released on DVD, these combined movies were considered the eighth season of the show. The movies were:

• A Matter of Justice
• Who Is Geli Bendl? (directed by Larry Hagman)
• By Duty Bound
• Grow Old Along with Me

Carroll's son and series cast member Hugh O'Connor died by suicide nearly two months before the fourth film aired. He had been struggling with a substance abuse issue since his teen years which culminated in his demise. When the film was broadcast in its original, two-hour format, a black screen was added in between the intro tag and the opening title; it read "In memory of Hugh O'Connor: 1962–1995".

Writing staff

• Carroll O'Connor (1989–95) as Matt Harris
• Mark Rodgers (1989–90)
• David Moessinger (1988–89)
• Jeri Taylor (1988–89)
• Edward Deblasio (1989–90)
• Nancy Bond (1988–90)
• William J Royce (1989–94)
• Cynthia Deming (1990–94)
• Robert Bielak (1990–91)
• Mitch Schneider (1990–94)
• Joe Gannon (1991–94)
• Denise Nicholas (1992–95)
• Terri Erwin (1989–91)
• Bill Taub (1991)

Cast and characters

Main

Actor	Role
Carroll O'Connor	Starred in the lead role of William O. "Bill" Gillespie. Gillespie is a tough but honorable small city police chief. At first somewhat resentful of Virgil Tibbs, Gillespie later becomes very close to Virgil and the rest of the Tibbs family. Their relationship in the TV series is much less adversarial than it is in the film version. For the first six seasons he is the chief of the Sparta Police Department until he is fired by the city council at the beginning of the 7th season. He becomes interim County Sheriff after the previous Sheriff becomes too ill to continue his duties. Chief Gillespie is a World War II veteran and identifies himself as serving with a black man in the 227th Military Police (it is assumed the 227th was a colored unit and Gillespie was the commanding officer). Gillespie has a penchant for wearing high-powered sidearms such as the Colt Python and later a brushed chrome Desert Eagle. Gillespie was married at one time to Anna, his Italian war bride whom he brought home from his WWII service in Italy; both she and their son would die in childbirth. He has an older daughter, Lana, played by Christine Elise. Gillespie eventually falls in love with and marries Harriet DeLong, the much younger black city Councilwoman. Throughout the series run, O'Connor was one of the actors to appear in every episode of the series on both networks (NBC and CBS), with the exception of four shows near the end of the 1988–89 season that he missed while recovering from open-heart surgery.
Howard Rollins	Starred in the lead role of Detective/Chief of Detectives/Captain Virgil Tibbs. Unlike the movie where he was just a visitor passing through, in the series, Virgil's character is rewritten as a Sparta native who later moves north and becomes a police detective in Philadelphia, PA. He returns to Sparta after the death of his mother and is offered a job as Chief of Detectives and the rank of Captain with the city police department. A meticulous and highly intelligent man, Tibbs initially has a supercilious attitude towards those in the department and frequently criticizes the force for not being more contemporary or tech-savvy. He and Gillespie butt heads at the start, but soon become close friends; Gillespie becomes godfather to Virgil and Althea's twins. Tibbs also clashed with Bubba early in the series, but after helping Bubba clear his name during a case where he is falsely accused of rape, they become good friends, as well. Though some city council members want to make him chief, Tibbs firmly rebuffs their offers, preferring to work with Gillespie. Virgil is a sensitive young man and expresses himself openly when something affects him. After continued legal problems, Rollins was dropped from the series in 1993, and Tibbs was written out of the series as having left the community following his graduation from law school and becoming an attorney in private practice. Rollins would return as a guest star several times during the 7th season in his new profession, attorney at law.
Alan Autry	First cast as Officer, then later Sergeant, Lieutenant, and finally Captain V. L. "Bubba" Skinner. Bubba is initially portrayed as a redneck. Intimidating and physically powerful, he is never afraid to use force when needed, but despite his rough exterior, he is a good man. He is also a sort of ladies man around Sparta, as he always seemed to have a new girlfriend. He is known to turn female heads, including that of Althea Tibbs, who refers to him as a "hunk". Bubba is deeply resentful of Virgil's presence on the police force at first, clashing with him on several occasions. He eventually became close friends with the Tibbs family, particularly after Virgil helped clear his name in a false allegation of rape. As the series progresses, Bubba is shown to be a brave and honorable man who is more complex and intelligent than people give him credit for. Through the course of the series, Bubba becomes more racially tolerant, referring to bigots and racists as "knotheads". Bubba is from a large family and is shown several times during the series to be an expert shot with a rifle. When the Sparta police need a sniper (such as when Captain Tibbs's wife Althea is taken hostage in the episode "...And Then You Die") it is Skinner who takes the shot with a scoped rifle kept in the trunk of his squad car. Bubba carries a Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolver in his belt holster like most of the other Sparta police officers. In Season 1, Bubba's rank seemed to be patrolman but is never explicitly stated. By Season 2's premiere, he is a Sergeant. Eventually, he rises to the rank of Captain before Gillespie leaves the Sparta Police. In Season 5, it is revealed that Bubba's first and middle initials are V. L. Bubba also always wears "white socks" with his uniform. Bubba usually is the one who is asked to arrest the tougher suspects due to his large size and immense strength.
Anne-Marie Johnson	Starred for six seasons as Virgil's wife, teacher and counselor Althea Tibbs. She herself was born and raised in Philadelphia and had never been south before the death of her mother-in-law. As the daughter of a retired police detective, Althea's life in Sparta is difficult: she is held captive by a murderous fugitive at the end of the first season, terrorized by an unstable ex-boyfriend and a racist mob at her home in Season 2, raped by her school's music teacher in the Season 3 premiere, and later suffered a mental breakdown after witnessing the suicide of one of her students. She is a caring individual who wants to assist her students and those in her community. At the end of Season 3, she announces her pregnancy, something she and Virgil had been trying for quite some time, and in the Season 4 premiere, it is revealed that not only is she pregnant, but pregnant with twins. She has a close father/daughter-type relationship with Chief Gillespie, and supposedly has a close friendship with Bubba Skinner, who discovers that she had been raped and transports her to the hospital. Althea did not reappear for the 7th season, and her character was written out as Althea had been separated from Virgil and moved back to Pennsylvania.
Lois Nettleton	Played Joanne St. John from 1988 to 1989. She is the owner of the Magnolia Cafe, a popular eatery in Sparta (as seen in Season 2's opening) and Gillespie's love interest. After it is revealed that Joanne was once a prostitute, she and Gillespie broke up and she eventually left Sparta out of shame, although she does appear in several episodes afterward, and was in the Season 2 finale with Gillespie when he was kidnapped. She is briefly mentioned in the Season 3 episode, "Anniversary", but does not appear.
David Hart	Portrayed Officer Parker Williams. He is a very perceptive character. He genuinely loves the people of Sparta, whom he has sworn to serve and protect, and he often senses when someone is hurting. Like his movie counterpart Courtney, he has a habit of eavesdropping on the conversations of others. Parker knows everybody in town and is able to get through to them because of his kindness. Parker generally sits behind the dispatcher's desk, handling the telephone and radio, although he is also assigned to patrol duty. In 1994, he rises to the rank of Senior Sergeant. Parker is a Vietnam veteran, as explained in the episode "My Name is Hank". As the comic relief of the show, Parker always has a Mason jar of sweet tea on his desk, including when he is at the Tibbs' house for Christmas in the episode "Blessings". Parker can be seen holding his tea jar with a Christmas bow stuck on it. He also has the distinction as the only cast member who never missed an episode during the entire run of the series.
Christian LeBlanc	Cast as Junior Abernathy, a patrolman seen only during Season 1. Junior is a young and inexperienced policeman who often is chastised by Detective Tibbs or Chief Gillespie for not knowing proper police procedure. However, Junior often rises to the occasion to assist in arrests or at other incidents in Sparta.
Geoffrey Thorne	Joined the cast as Officer Wilson Sweet in the second season as the cocky, young rookie fresh out of the police academy. Aside from Tibbs, Sweet is one of the first black men to join Sparta's police force. He is very focused and detailed about what his goals were, as he spoke quite often of going to law school. He loves to read, mostly on topics that can assist him with his work as a police officer, as well as African American literature. With Virgil Tibbs as a reluctant mentor, he is well liked and a clever and driven asset to the department. A number of the racially conscious storylines on the show involved his character. His ambition is to rise in the ranks of the Sparta police force and become Sparta's first black Police Chief, a part which was eventually played by Carl Weathers. By Season 5, he had been promoted to the rank of Sergeant. His character was eliminated when Thorne chose to exit the show after the sixth season ended and his departure is never mentioned or explained.
Hugh O'Connor	Recurring Season 1, made a main cast member in Season 2. As Lonnie Jamison, he is an officer and later, acting investigator on the Sparta police force. Lonnie eventually rises to the rank of Lieutenant and Acting Chief of Detectives. Lonnie is a very capable officer and takes his job seriously. He usually has a serious and straightforward personality, with a dry humor that always fits the moment, and he is an amiable and friendly person overall. One of the many facets of Lonnie's character is a fierce, never-give-up loyalty to his friends. A prime example of that loyalty occurs over several episodes as Lonnie's friendship with Harriet DeLong's son Eugene. Lonnie is Eugene's track team coach at Sparta High, and it is Lonnie Jamison who is able to get through to the young man when Eugene's father is being tried for murder, episode "No Other Road". Lonnie is a crack shot with a rifle and is often selected by Chief Gillespie to handle a situation requiring a long range rifle shot, as in episodes "My Name is Hank", "An Eye for An Eye", and "Crackdown". Along with Bubba, the Sparta Police has a very lethal sniper team.
Carl Weathers	Joined the cast in the final season as Police Chief Hampton Forbes. He is handpicked by the Sparta city council to lead the department after the controversial firing of Bill Gillespie. Forbes is the first black chief of the department and a 20-year veteran of the Memphis, TN, police department, serving in one of the four police districts in the city of Memphis as an inspector. He retires from the MPD to become the new Police Chief in Sparta. Forbes becomes friends with Gillespie and often works closely with him when Gillespie becomes acting county sheriff.
Crystal R. Fox	Cast as Officer LuAnn Corbin in Season 3. After the first black woman to join the force, Officer Christine Rankin, died in the line of duty on her first day on the job, Corbin is recruited to take her place. LuAnn often drove Gillespie around and was the go-between for him and Harriet before the two of them went public with their relationship. LuAnn was also a singer and was given several opportunities to showcase her voice on the series, in such episodes such as "Odessa" and "Singin' The Blues".
Denise Nicholas	First joined the cast in a recurring role in 1989 as Sparta City Councilwoman Harriet DeLong. A divorcée, her relationship with Chief Gillespie is deeply adversarial in the beginning, and the two clash often when she first appears on the show. Gillespie once referred to her as "The Dragon Lady". But over the course of the series, Harriet sees Gillespie's softer, more caring side and begins to think more fondly of him. By the time Denise Nicholas becomes a series regular, Harriet and Gillespie are romantically involved, much to the disapproval of her son, Eugene, and others in Sparta who are opposed to interracial relationships. She is close friends with Virgil and is also a gifted artist. In the two-part episode, "Citizen Trundel", Harriet's sister, Natalie is the mistress of conniving millionaire businessman, V.J. Trundel, who later has her murdered. They have a son named Eric from their illicit affair. Harriet eventually gains custody of him after Trundel deliberately crashes his private airplane after a confrontation about the murder with Gillespie. Emily Trundel, V.J.'s estranged widow, attempts to gain custody of Eric two seasons later, but only succeeds in gaining visitation rights, something Harriet deeply opposes.
Randall Franks	Played Officer Randy Goode (Season 2–6)
C.C. Taylor	Officer Charlie Peake (Season 3–8)
Dee Shaw	Officer Dee Shepard (Season 3–8)
Harvey E. Lee Jr.	Played Officer Ken Covey. (Season 6–8)
Mark Johnson	Played Officer Luke Everett. (Season 6–8)

Recurring

Actor	Role
Thom Gossom Jr.	Ted Marcus, Sparta city councilman and attorney (Seasons 2–8)
Tonea Stewart	Virgil's widowed maternal aunt Etta Kibbee. She resides with Virgil and Althea Tibbs and is caretaker of their twins, William Calvin and Sarah Ruth. (Seasons 4–7) Prior to her role as Kibbee, Stewart also appeared on the Season 2 episode "Prisoners" as Ms. Gray, the mother of slain prison victim, Eric Gray.
Dan Biggers	Dr. Frank "Doc" Robb, physician and medical examiner (Season 2–8)
Wilbur Fitzgerald	District Attorney Gerard Darnelle (Seasons 3–8)
Rugg Williams	Eugene Glendon, Harriet DeLong's teenage son (Seasons 4–7)
Afemo Omilami	Jimmy Dawes, ex-con who becomes a police informant (Seasons 2–6). He was also cast in a Season 7 episode in a different role as an Atlanta detective.
Christine Elise	Lana Farren, Gillespie's daughter by Georgia Farren as the result of a long-ago love affair. They had no relationship while Lana was growing up. (Seasons 5–7)
Bob Penny	Louis Alvin Epp, corrupt realtor and attorney in Sparta with mob connections (Seasons 3–6)
Scott Brian Higgs	Randy Calhoun, Lana's quirky and odd neighbor, although he appeared on the show as far back as Season 3, long before the storyline about Gillespie having an illegitimate daughter was created. (Seasons 3–7)
Wallace Merck	Earl "Holly" Colmer Sr., councilman and nemesis to Bill Gillespie, Virgil Tibbs and Harriet DeLong (Seasons 5–8)
Karen Carlson	Sarah Hallisey, attorney (Seasons 5–7)
Adair Simon	Emily Trundel, wife of millionaire V.J. Trundel, who impregnated Harriet DeLong's younger sister Natalie during an illicit affair. (Seasons 3, 5)
Burgess Meredith	Judge Cully (Seasons 6–7)
Stuart Culpepper	Judge Colter, Judge Henry Sims (Seasons 3, 7). He also appeared in other episodes during the run of the series playing other characters.
Joe Don Baker	Captain Tom Dugan, a retired Mississippi Highway Patrol police captain, Dugan appeared on the last four episodes of the second season. Baker was brought in as a stand-in for Carroll O'Connor while O'Connor was recovering from open-heart surgery. Dugan is placed in the department by the FBI to uncover a plot by a white supremacist group to assassinate a civil rights leader during his visit to Sparta. Dugan is murdered by these same white supremacists at the end of the second season. Dugan's godson, who had become involved with these people, later agrees to help the police. (Season 2)
Ron Culbreth	Sheriff Nathan McComb, the former Newton County sheriff. Culbreth appeared on nine episodes as Sheriff McComb. In the 7th season, McComb becomes too ill to continue his duties, and Gillespie is appointed as acting sheriff in his place. Prior to his appearances as McComb, Culbreth also appeared on the episodes "The Hammer and the Glove" and "Missing" in guest roles. (Seasons 3–7)
Pat Hingle	Roy Eversole, Parker Williams' step-father. Hot tempered, Eversole had a great deal of difficulty maintaining steady employment. He was once a murder suspect after getting into a heated argument with a former employer, who is subsequently found dead a short time later. (Seasons 6–7)
Fran Bennett	Virgil's maternal aunt Ruda Gibson (Seasons 4–6)
John Wesley	Vic Glendon, Harriet DeLong's ex-husband and Eugene's father (Seasons 4–6)
Christopher Allport	District Attorney Myron Dutton (Season 2)
Dennis Lipscomb	Sparta Mayor Jim Findlay (Season 1)
Michael Burgess	Tyrell Gibson, Virgil Tibbs' younger cousin and Ruda Gibson's son (Season 4–6)
Maureen Dowdell	Nurse Tracey Boggs, Bubba's girlfriend. Also played Nurse Jill and Lydia Kinsey. (Seasons 5–8)
Jen Harper	Dr. Winona Day (Seasons 5–7)
Christopher Lobban	Bobby Johnson, a youngster that Gillespie takes in when one of his brothers murders the other, and his grief-stricken mother leaves Sparta and eventually passes away. Bobby wants to remain in Sparta so he can attend Sparta High once he's old enough. Althea Tibbs is a teacher and counselor at the high school and it was Bobby's slain brother's wish that Bobby be mentored by her. Althea initially wants Bobby to move in with her and Virgil, but Virgil is not sold on the idea. To quell the tensions between the Tibbses over this, Gillespie volunteers to keep the boy in his home. When Gillespie moves into his new home in Season 7, Bobby moves along with him. (Seasons 4–7)

Guest stars

During the series' 7-season run, many familiar, unfamiliar, and longtime character actors and actresses have made guest appearances, and others were newcomers who went on to become well-known. Some of those appearing in In the Heat of the Night episodes were:

• Claude Akins
• Ed Ames
• Mitchell Anderson
• Alan Arbus
• Elizabeth Ashley
• Dana Barron
• Jennifer Bassey
• Michael Beck
• Jason Beghe
• Vanessa Bell Calloway
• Paul Benjamin
• James Best
• Taurean Blacque
• Larry Black
• Susan Blakely
• Wayne Brady
• Randy Brooks
• Tony Burton
• Thomas Jefferson Byrd
• Martha Byrne
• John Davis Chandler
• Byron Cherry
• Kevin Conway
• Franklin Cover
• Maury Covington
• Nicolas Cowan
• Gary Crosby
• Ken Curtis
• John Diehl
• Art Evans
• Frances Fisher
• Louise Fletcher
• Peter Fonda
• Jeffrey Buckner Ford
• Don Galloway
• Willie Gault
• Marla Gibbs
• Thomas Ian Griffith
• Walton Goggins
• Robert Goulet
• J.D. Hall
• Mariska Hargitay
• Kim Hawthorne
• Tiger Haynes
• Tippi Hedren
• Earl Holliman
• Michael Horton
• Iman
• Adrienne-Joi Johnson
• Laura Johnson
• Mickey Jones
• Renée Jones
• Stacy Keach
• Ken Kercheval
• Bruce Kirby
• Diane Ladd
• Ted Lange
• Mitchell Laurance
• Kenny Leon
• Ketty Lester
• Geoffrey Lewis
• Josh Lucas (as Joshua Lucas)
• Marc Macaulay
• Ted Manson
• Ken Marshall
• Rod Masterson
• Whitman Mayo
• Richard McKenzie
• Bill McKinney
• Stephen Nichols
• Gail O'Grady
• Lisa Pelikan
• Eric Pierpoint
• Clifton Powell
• Francesco Quinn
• Logan Ramsey
• Lisa Rieffel
• Mark Rolston
• Stephen Root
• William Sadler
• George C. Scott
• Joe Seneca
• Craig Shoemaker
• Bobby Short
• Sonny Shroyer
• Jean Simmons
• Michael Spound
• Marco St. John
• Stella Stevens
• Mel Stewart
• Jerry Stiller
• Barbara Stock
• Meshach Taylor
• Christopher Templeton
• Ernest Lee Thomas
• Melvin Van Peebles
• Jordan Vaughn
• Nana Visitor
• Lou Walker
• Michael Warren
• Darnell Williams
• Gary Anthony Williams
• Traci Wolfe

Future Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman stars, Helene Udy, William Shockley and Chad Allen made guest appearances. Future Desperate Housewives star Doug Savant and veteran actor Kevin McCarthy also made their guest appearances on the two-part pilot episode, as well as O. J. Simpson (whom NBC executives originally wanted for the role of Virgil Tibbs, but O'Connor selected Rollins), who made a cameo appearance in Season 2. William Schallert, who played Mayor Schubert in the original 1967 film, also made an appearance on the show in Season 4.

Broadcast history

The series debuted as a midseason replacement for the short-lived NBC series J.J. Starbuck, premiering on March 6, 1988. The series ran on the network until May 19, 1992, then was shown on CBS until its finale after an eighth season, on May 16, 1995.

Locations

Like the original movie, the television series also took place in a fictionalized version of Sparta, Mississippi. While there is a real Sparta, the version of Sparta shown on television is very different from the real town. For example, the TV Sparta is situated along Interstate 20, while the real town is nowhere near any interstate. During the first season, Hammond, Louisiana was the site of the show's production. In the second season, the show was moved to Georgia, to an area east of Atlanta and it remained there for the rest of its run. The principal area of Sparta was in fact downtown Covington, Georgia. Rural scenes were filmed in a wide surrounding area, in the Georgia counties of Newton (where Covington is located), Rockdale, Walton, Morgan, and Jasper. Decatur in Dekalb County was used as a stand-in for an episode as the Mississippi Capital city of Jackson, and Atlanta itself was used in one episode, in which Bubba worked on a case there. In fact, during the series' run, many of the cast members had homes in the area and were often spotted in local restaurants and retail stores. The cast members would also go around to local schools to speak to students.

Broadcast and syndication

The series also airs in broadcast syndication on Ovation. Ovation airs the show every Monday and Tuesday afternoon for five hours from 2:00 PM ET to 7:00 PM ET back to back. WGN America previously aired the series every weekday morning starting at 11AM ET for 4 hours usually until 3PM ET Monday through Thursday. WGN aired the show Fridays, too, at the same time. Ovation now has moved the show to Mondays mornings from 8 AM to 2 PM as part of their "Morning Mysteries" crime and mystery drama block, and Thursdays at 10 PM/9 PM ET/CT (or sometimes 11 PM/10 PM ET/CT.). The show also aired Tuesdays nights at 7PM ET, but was scaled down to just a Thursday airing starting December 7, 2020. MeTV also acquired the rights to the show and it began airing in around either 2018 or 2019, running it every weekday beginning at 11AM ET/10AM CT. MGM's ThisTV network, a classic movie-focused network, also airs the show weekdays. The show previously aired on TNT from 1995 to 2005. The show has remained relatively strong in syndication to this day, particularly airing on some local stations. Bounce TV began airing reruns of the series starting September 13, 2021.

Season	Time	Rank	Rating	Viewers
1987–88	Tuesday at 9:00–10:00 PM on NBC	19	17.0	15,639,200
1988–89		18	17.3	15,564,900
1989–90		19	16.9	13,871,900
1990–91		21	14.9 (tied with Major Dad)	N/A
1991–92	Tuesday at 9:00–10:00 PM on NBC (October 1, 1991 – January 7, 1992) Tuesday at 8:00–9:00 PM on NBC (January 14 – May 19, 1992)	30	13.1 (tied with The Golden Girls)	N/A
1992–93	Wednesday at 9:00–10:00 PM on CBS	46	N/A	10,630,000
1993–94	Thursday at 8:00–9:00 PM on CBS (September 16, 1993 – January 6, 1994) Wednesday at 9:00–10:00 PM on CBS (January 12 – May 11, 1994)	N/A	N/A	N/A

Home media

TGG Direct released the first season on DVD in Region 1 on August 30, 2012. The eighth and final season was released on June 11, 2013.

On October 23, 2012, TGG Direct released an 8-disc best-of set entitled In the Heat of the Night – 24hr Television Marathon.

TGG Direct released seasons 4 and 5 onto DVD on December 10, 2013. However, due to licensing issues, the following episodes are missing from the box set: Brotherly Love, Shine On Sparta Moon, Sweet, Sweet Blues, Sanctuary, Law On Trial.

TGG Direct released seasons 2 & 3 in a single boxed set onto DVD on March 11, 2014. However, due to clearance issues, the following episodes are excluded – Season 2 Excluded Episodes: The Family Secret, The Hammer and the Glove, A Trip Upstate, Intruders, Sister Sister, Walkout; Season 3 Excluded Episodes: Fairest of Them All, Crackdown, Anniversary, My Name is Hank, King's Ransom, A Loss of Innocence, Home is Where the Heart Is, Indiscretions, Citizen Trundel Part 1 and Part 2

TGG Direct also released seasons 6 and 7 in individual boxed sets onto DVD on March 11, 2014. However, due to clearance issues, the following episode is excluded from Season 6: Random's Child and the following episodes are excluded from Season 7: Singin' The Blues, Every Man's Family, Maybelle Returns, Ches and the Grand Lady, Dangerous Engagement.

Awards

Both Carroll O'Connor and Howard Rollins received prestigious awards for their work on the show in 1989. O'Connor received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and Rollins the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, his second.

In the Heat of the Night won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series (formally Outstanding Drama Series, Mini-Series or Television Movie), two years in a row, 1992 and 1993. The 1992 win was specifically for the Season 5 episode, "Sweet, Sweet Blues".

Soundtrack

The theme song, "In the Heat of the Night," was originally recorded by Quincy Jones, with Ray Charles on vocals and piano for the movie. It is usually paired with "They Call Me Mr. Tibbs" on albums. Bill Champlin of the band Chicago sang the opening theme song for the television series.

The original song itself is supposed to be from Virgil's point of view, being in a stranger in a hostile environment. In the case of the TV series, the lyrics refer to both main characters fighting crime in the tiny town of Sparta.

Randall Franks and Alan Autry co-produced the cast CD Christmas Time's A Comin' for Sonlite and MGM/UA, featuring the entire cast and a host of music stars. It was released Christmas 1991 and 1992, and was among the top holiday recordings of those years around the South and Midwest.

External links

• In the Heat of the Night at IMDb
• Crystal Reel Award