In the Heat of the Night 1988
What is In the Heat of the Night?
In the Heat of the Night is an American television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name. The series stars Carroll O'Connor as the white police chief William Gillespie, and Howard Rollins as the African-American police detective Virgil Tibbs.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1988
- Status
- Ended
- Episodes
- 146
- Runtime
- 60 minutes
- First aired
- Mar 6, 1988
- Last aired
- May 16, 1995
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- US
- Networks
- NBC, CBS
- Genres
- Crime, Drama
- Updated
Where to watch
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How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 146 episodes and an average 60-minute runtime.
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Overview
In the Heat of the Night is an American television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name. The series stars 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 two major networks, initially on NBC and later on CBS. The series was executive produced by Fred Silverman, Juanita Bartlett, and Carroll O'Connor. The first season of the series was released to DVD by TGG Direct on August 28, 2012. The series is a police procedural crime drama that explores themes of law enforcement and community relations in a small Southern town.
Should you watch it?
“A white police chief and an African-American detective solve crimes in this television drama series.”
- strong lead performances
- based on established source material
- lengthy production history across two networks
Watch it if you enjoy character-driven police procedurals adapted from classic literature and film.
The series explores themes of crime and social dynamics within a police procedural framework.
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Episode guide
Spoiler-Safe Browsing Progress
Season 1 · 8 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide & lore primer →- E1 Pilot (1) Mytharc Mar 6, 1988
- E2 Pilot (2) Mytharc Mar 6, 1988
- E3 Road Kill Core Mar 15, 1988
- E4 Fate Core Mar 22, 1988
- E5 Blind Spot (1) Core Mar 29, 1988
- E6 Blind Spot (2) Core Apr 5, 1988
- E7 A Necessary Evil Mytharc Apr 12, 1988
- E8 ...And Then You Die Mytharc May 3, 1988
Season 2 · 22 episodes
- E1 Don't Look Back (1) Mytharc Dec 4, 1988
- E2 Don't Look Back (2) Core Dec 4, 1988
- E3 Family Secret Core Dec 6, 1988
- E4 The Hammer and the Glove Core Dec 13, 1988
- E5 Prisoners Core Dec 20, 1988
- E6 Hot Nights Core Dec 27, 1988
- E7 Gunshots Core Jan 3, 1989
- E8 Country Mouse, City Mouse Core Jan 10, 1989
- E9 Stranger in Town Core Jan 17, 1989
- E10 Tear Down the Walls Core Jan 31, 1989
- E11 A Trip Upstate Core Feb 7, 1989
- E12 A.k.a Kelly Kay Core Feb 14, 1989
- E13 These Things Take Time Core Feb 21, 1989
- E14 Intruders Core Mar 7, 1989
- E15 The Creek Core Mar 14, 1989
- E16 Sister, Sister Core Mar 21, 1989
- E17 Walkout Core Mar 28, 1989
- E18 Accused Core Apr 4, 1989
- E19 Fifteen, Forever Core Apr 25, 1989
- E20 Ladybug, Ladybug Mytharc May 2, 1989
- E21 The Pig Woman of Sparta Mytharc May 9, 1989
- E22 Missing Mytharc May 16, 1989
Season 3 · 22 episodes
- E1 Rape Mytharc Oct 24, 1989
- E2 Fairest of Them All Core Oct 31, 1989
- E3 Murder Most Ancient Core Nov 7, 1989
- E4 First Girl Core Nov 14, 1989
- E5 Crackdown Core Nov 21, 1989
- E6 Anniversary Core Nov 28, 1989
- E7 Time of the Stranger Core Dec 5, 1989
- E8 Vengeance Core Dec 12, 1989
- E9 My Name is Hank Core Dec 19, 1989
- E10 King's Ransom Core Jan 2, 1990
- E11 Epitaph for a Lady Core Jan 16, 1990
- E12 Triangle Core Jan 23, 1990
- E13 Hello in There Mytharc Jan 30, 1990
- E14 December Days Core Feb 13, 1990
- E15 A Loss of Innocence Core Feb 20, 1990
- E16 Bubba's Baby Core Feb 27, 1990
- E17 Home is Where The Heart Is Mytharc Mar 6, 1990
- E18 An Angry Woman Mytharc Mar 13, 1990
- E19 Indiscretions Core Mar 20, 1990
- E20 Night of the Killing Mytharc Mar 27, 1990
- E21 Citizen Trundel (1) Mytharc May 1, 1990
- E22 Citizen Trundel (2) Mytharc May 8, 1990
Season 4 · 22 episodes
- E1 Brotherly Love (1) Mytharc Sep 18, 1990
- E2 Brotherly Love (2) Core Sep 18, 1990
- E3 Lessons Learned Core Sep 25, 1990
- E4 Perversions of Justice Core Oct 2, 1990
- E5 And Justice For Some Core Oct 23, 1990
- E6 Hearts of Gold Core Oct 30, 1990
- E7 Quick Fix Core Nov 6, 1990
- E8 Homecoming Core Nov 13, 1990
- E9 A Problem Too Personal Core Nov 20, 1990
- E10 A Final Arrangement Mytharc Nov 27, 1990
- E11 Family Matters Core Dec 4, 1990
- E12 Bounty Hunter Core Dec 11, 1990
- E13 Blessings Core Dec 18, 1990
- E14 Shine on Sparta Moon Core Jan 8, 1991
- E15 Execution of Trust Core Jan 15, 1991
- E16 Child of Promise Core Feb 5, 1991
- E17 Paper Castles Core Feb 12, 1991
- E18 Laid to Waste Core Feb 19, 1991
- E19 First Deadly Sin Core Feb 26, 1991
- E20 Just A Country Boy Mytharc Mar 19, 1991
- E21 No Other Road Mytharc Mar 26, 1991
- E22 A Turning Mytharc Apr 30, 1991
Season 5 · 22 episodes
- E1 A Woman Much Admired Mytharc Oct 1, 1991
- E2 Baby for Sale Core Oct 8, 1991
- E3 Obsession Core Oct 22, 1991
- E4 Liar's Poker Core Oct 29, 1991
- E5 Ruda's Awakening Core Nov 5, 1991
- E6 Unfinished Business Core Nov 12, 1991
- E7 The More Thing's Change Core Nov 19, 1991
- E8 Sweet, Sweet Blues Core Nov 26, 1991
- E9 Sparta Gold Core Dec 3, 1991
- E10 An Eye for an Eye Core Dec 10, 1991
- E11 The Littlest Victim Core Dec 17, 1991
- E12 The Landlord Mytharc Jan 7, 1992
- E13 Fool for Love Core Jan 14, 1992
- E14 Love, Honor and Obey Mytharc Feb 4, 1992
- E15 Odessa Core Feb 11, 1992
- E16 A Time to Trust Core Feb 18, 1992
- E17 By Means Most Foul Core Feb 25, 1992
- E18 Trundel's Will Be Done Core Mar 3, 1992
- E19 Moseley's Lot Core Mar 31, 1992
- E20 Family Reunion Core Apr 7, 1992
- E21 Sanctuary Mytharc May 12, 1992
- E22 The Law on Trial Mytharc May 19, 1992
Frequently asked questions
Who stars in the series?
The series stars Carroll O'Connor as William Gillespie and Howard Rollins as Virgil Tibbs.
When did the series air?
The show was broadcast on NBC from 1988 until 1992 and on CBS from 1992 until 1995.
Is the series based on a book?
Yes, the television series is based on a novel and a motion picture of the same name.
Who were the executive producers?
The executive producers were Fred Silverman, Juanita Bartlett, and Carroll O'Connor.
Is the series available on DVD?
TGG Direct released the first season of the series to DVD on August 28, 2012.
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