In the Heat of the Night

In the Heat of the Night is a TV show based on the Oscar-winning film of the same name. The series originally ran on NBC from 1988 to 1992 before CBS picked it up for an additional 3 seasons, ending its run in 1995. The original film, starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger, centered on a black police detective from Philadelphia who is embroiled in a murder investigation in the racially charged environment of small town Sparta, Mississippi. In the television adaptation though, the central focus was Carroll O’Connor’s portrayal of police chief William Gilllespie (the Rod Steiger role), with Howard Rollins portraying Sidney Poitier’s emblematic Detective Virgil Tubbs in a more supporting nature. Guest appearances throughout the series included George C. Scott, Robert Goulet, O.J. Simpson, and many others. Late in the show’s run, Carl Weathers joined the cast as new town Sherriff Hampton Forbes. And of course, David Hart, Alan Autry, Anne-Marie Johnson, and Hugh O’Connor rounded out the rest of the supporting cast. MORE