In the Heat of the Night

First Air Date: 1988-03-06

Status: Ended

Rating: ⭐ 7.4/10 (61 votes)

Genres: Crime, Drama

Overview: In the Heat of the Night is an American television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name starring Carroll O'Connor as the white police chief William Gillespie, and Howard Rollins as the African-American police detective Virgil Tibbs. It was broadcast on NBC from 1988 until 1992, and then on CBS until 1995. Its executive producers were Fred Silverman, Juanita Bartlett and Carroll O'Connor. TGG Direct released the first season of the series to DVD on August 28, 2012.

Seasons: 8

Episodes: 146

Top Cast

Carroll O'Connor

as Bill Gillespie

Alan Autry

as Bubba Skinner

David Hart

as Parker Williams

Hugh O'Connor

as Lonnie Jamison

Crystal R. Fox

as Luann Corbin

Denise Nicholas

as Harriet DeLong

User Reviews

GenerationofSwine

⭐ 8/10

Jan 11, 2023

I know, I know, it doesn't really hold a candle to the movie does it? They are sort of two entirely different beasts and this film... well, it has a lot more of a Hill Street Blues with minimal racial commentary in it than something you would expect from "In the heat of the Night."

But Carroll O'Connor sort of kicked butt in this. And you can see the change. If they held on to the racial tension that made the movie so good.... that would have gotten old and as preachy as MASH.

So they had to eventually form a bond, and when they did it just became a cop show, but a very good cop show.

So don't expect the movie, expect Hill Street Blues with better acting.