About this season
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.
Episodes (22)
1. Brotherly Love (1)
Aired 18 September 1990 • 60 min
Virgil goes to Philadelphia to investigate a friends death.And Bubba (reluctantly) fills in as Althea's Lamaze coach.
2. Brotherly Love (2)
Aired 18 September 1990 • 60 min
Virgil is framed for murder and Gillespie travels to Philly to help him clear his name.
3. Lessons Learned
Aired 25 September 1990 • 60 min
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.
4. Perversions of Justice
Aired 2 October 1990 • 60 min
A mild mannered school teacher is accused of child molestation.
5. And Justice For Some
Aired 23 October 1990 • 60 min
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.
6. Hearts of Gold
Aired 30 October 1990 • 60 min
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.
7. Quick Fix
Aired 6 November 1990 • 60 min
The investigation into the death of an abandoned infant leads to a mentally handicapped teenager.
8. Homecoming
Aired 13 November 1990 • 60 min
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.
9. A Problem Too Personal
Aired 20 November 1990 • 60 min
Harriet and Eugene are devastated after Gene's father is arrested for murder.
10. A Final Arrangement
Aired 27 November 1990 • 60 min
Sweet is heartbroken when an elderly woman who befriended him is murdered in her bookstore.
11. Family Matters
Aired 4 December 1990 • 60 min
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.
12. Bounty Hunter
Aired 11 December 1990 • 60 min
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.
13. Blessings
Aired 18 December 1990 • 60 min
In this Christmas episode the officers share memories with a reporter from the Sparta Herald.
14. Shine on Sparta Moon
Aired 8 January 1991 • 60 min
A bottle of spiked moonshine leads to an accident that claims the life of one teen and blinds another.
15. Execution of Trust
Aired 15 January 1991 • 60 min
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.
16. Child of Promise
Aired 5 February 1991 • 60 min
A story of two brothers one an honor student that Althea has great plans for, the other a dangerous drug dealer as they struggle to influence a younger sibling.
17. Paper Castles
Aired 12 February 1991 • 60 min
Virgil soon regrets telling an old friend that his new business partners are being investigated by the police.
18. Laid to Waste
Aired 19 February 1991 • 60 min
Parker protects a blind woman who heard her neighbors murder.
19. First Deadly Sin
Aired 26 February 1991 • 60 min
A serial rapist stalks Sparta.
20. Just A Country Boy
Aired 19 March 1991 • 60 min
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.
21. No Other Road
Aired 26 March 1991 • 60 min
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.
22. A Turning
Aired 30 April 1991 • 60 min
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.