TV series
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.
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Checked Jul 22, 2026
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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.
Cast, crew and production details
Carroll O'ConnorBill Gillespie
Howard RollinsVirgil Tibbs
Alan AutryBubba Skinner
Anne-Marie JohnsonAlthea Tibbs
Lois NettletonJoanne St. John
David HartParker Williams
Geoffrey ThorneWilson Sweet
Hugh O'ConnorLonnie Jamison
NBCUnited States
CBSUnited States
MGM TelevisionUnited StatesWatch options above are for the show and may vary by season or episode.
Episode 1
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.
Directed by Harry Harris
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 2
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.
Directed by Carroll O'ConnorGuest stars Rosemary Murphy
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 3
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.
Directed by Carroll O'ConnorGuest stars Burgess Meredith
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 4
The daughter of an old friend asks Bubba to arrest the man who knowingly gave her AIDS.
Directed by Harry Harris
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 5
A night of revelry at a local pond turns deadly.
Directed by Russ MayberryGuest stars Steve Kanaly
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 6
Lana's ex- boyfriend comes to see her and brings a load of stolen rifles with him.
Directed by Larry HagmanWritten by Joe Gannon
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 7
Luann moonlights as a singer at a nightclub and finds romance with the clubs owner.Her happiness is shortlived when she realizes that the bartender is dealing drugs.
Guest stars Willie Gault
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 8
Attorney Virgil Tibbs returns to Sparta and is soon assigned his first case as a defense attorney.
Guest stars Howard Rollins
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 9
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.
Directed by Harry HarrisGuest stars Afemo Omilami
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 10
A neglected baby stirs maternal feelings in Luann.
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 11
Tragic story of an alcoholic teen who accidentally kills a little girl while she is drinking and driving.
Directed by Larry Hagman
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 12
Directed by Dick MartinGuest stars RonReaco Lee
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 13
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.
Directed by Winrich Kolbe
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 14
Maybelle's new phone sex business is a great success - until one her girls decides to moonlight as a prostitute.
Directed by Russ MayberryWritten by Joe GannonGuest stars Elizabeth Ashley, Sam Anderson, Polly W. LePorte, Melissa Young, Wallace Merck, Dan Biggers, Punky Leonard, Derek Pruitt
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 15
Forbes is delighted when his fiancee Angela comes to see him,but is disappointed when he realizes that they have very different plans for the future.
Directed by Reza Badiyi
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 16
Lonnie must protect his Aunt Cordelia when her cherished friendship with Ches Collins angers one of his cousins.
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 17
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.
Directed by Joe GannonWritten by Joe GannonGuest stars Thedra Porter
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 18
A Rabbi 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.
Directed by Winrich KolbeWritten by Elsye O'Connor, David O'ConnorGuest stars Jerry Stiller
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 19
Eugene tries to protect a friend who was an unwilling accomplice to a robbery and in doing so endangers his probation -- and his life.
Directed by Russ Mayberry
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 20
Harriet tries to stop an arrogant developer from destroying an important archeological site.
Written by Elsye O'Connor, David O'Connor
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 21
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.
Directed by Reza BadiyiGuest stars Anne Meara
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 22
Bill and Harriet's wedding plans are interrupted by a sniper who mistakes Bill for Sheriff McComb.
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 23
In the Heat of the Night: Give Me Your Life is a film directed by Russ Mayberry released on May 11, 1994.
Directed by Russ Mayberry
Where to watch In the Heat of the Night
Episode 24
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.
Directed by Russ Mayberry, Carroll O'Connor
Where to watch In the Heat of the NightEpisode information updated Jul 22, 2026
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