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In the Heat of the Night
1988 · TV Series · TV-14 · 60 min · ★ 7.6 · 47% critics
CrimeDramaMystery
Based on the novel and film, this series follows a small-town police department led by a white chief and an African-American detective as they work cases and learn to operate as a team. Over time, the focus shifts toward steady, character-driven police work rather than heavy social commentary.
Where to watch
Watch free on Tubi — also streaming on Amazon Prime Video, MGM+ and ScreenPix.
~143 hours to watch · 148 episodes.
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Details
- Years
- 1988–1995
- Release date
- 1988-03-06
- Network
- NBC, CBS
- Language
- English
- Rated
- TV-14
- Runtime
- 60 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 47/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.6/10 (67 votes)
About
If you want a straightforward, character-focused cop show with strong performances and an evolving working relationship, this fits well; Not for you if you expect the film’s sharper edge or heavier themes—think Hill Street Blues.
Pros: strong lead performances; solid weekly cases; evolving partnership | Cons: less like the movie; lighter racial commentary; can feel conventional
Themes
- police chief
- police
- racism
- police detective
Cast & crew
Carroll O'Connor
as Bill Gillespie
Howard Rollins
as Virgil Tibbs
Alan Autry
as Bubba Skinner
Anne-Marie Johnson
as Althea Tibbs
Lois Nettleton
as Joanne St. John
David Hart
as Parker Williams
Geoffrey Thorne
as Wilson Sweet
Hugh O'Connor
as Lonnie Jamison
Crystal R. Fox
as Luann Corbin
Denise Nicholas
as Harriet DeLong
Directed by Carroll O'Connor, Leo Penn, Vincent McEveety +18 more
Created by James Lee Barrett
Episodes8 seasons · 148 episodes
Season 18 episodes
- S1E1Pilot (1)60mAmazon Prime VideoTubiApple TV+
- S1E2Pilot (2)60mAmazon Prime Video
- S1E3Road Kill60mAmazon Prime VideoTubiApple TV+
- S1E4Fate60mAmazon Prime VideoTubiApple TV+
- S1E5Blind Spot (1)60mAmazon Prime VideoTubiApple TV+
- S1E6Blind Spot (2)60mAmazon Prime VideoTubiApple TV+
- S1E7A Necessary Evil60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S1E8...And Then You Die60mTubi
Season 224 episodes
- S2E1Don't Look Back (1)48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E2Don't Look Back (2)48mAmazon Prime Video
- S2E3Family Secret48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E4The Hammer and the Glove48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E5Prisoners48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E6Hot Nights48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E7Gunshots48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E8Country Mouse, City Mouse48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E9Stranger in Town48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E10Tear Down the Walls48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E11A Trip Upstate47mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E12A.k.a Kelly Kay48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E13These Things Take Time48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E14Intruders48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E15The Creek47mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E16Sister, Sister48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E17Walkout48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E18Accused48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E19Fifteen, Forever48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E20Ladybug, Ladybug48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E21The Pig Woman of Sparta48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S2E22Missing48mTubi
- S2E23Episode 23
- S2E24Episode 24
Season 322 episodes
- S3E1Rape48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E2Fairest of Them All48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E3Murder Most Ancient47mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E4First Girl47mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E5Crackdown48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E6Anniversary48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E7Time of the Stranger47mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E8Vengeance47mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E9My Name is Hank48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E10King's Ransom48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E11Epitaph for a Lady48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E12Triangle48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E13Hello in There48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E14December Days47mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E15A Loss of Innocence48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E16Bubba's Baby47mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E17Home is Where The Heart Is48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E18An Angry Woman48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E19Indiscretions48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E20Night of the Killing48mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E21Citizen Trundel (1)47mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S3E22Citizen Trundel (2)47mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
Season 422 episodes
- S4E1Brotherly Love (1)60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E2Brotherly Love (2)60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E3Lessons Learned60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E4Perversions of Justice60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E5And Justice For Some60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E6Hearts of Gold60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E7Quick Fix60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E8Homecoming60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E9A Problem Too Personal60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E10A Final Arrangement60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E11Family Matters60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E12Bounty Hunter60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E13Blessings60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E14Shine on Sparta Moon60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E15Execution of Trust60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E16Child of Promise60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E17Paper Castles60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E18Laid to Waste60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E19First Deadly Sin60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E20Just A Country Boy60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E21No Other Road60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S4E22A Turning60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
Season 522 episodes
- S5E1A Woman Much Admired60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E2Baby for Sale60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E3Obsession60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E4Liar's Poker60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E5Ruda's Awakening60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E6Unfinished Business60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E7The More Thing's Change60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E8Sweet, Sweet Blues60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E9Sparta Gold60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E10An Eye for an Eye60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E11The Littlest Victim60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E12The Landlord60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E13Fool for Love60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E14Love, Honor and Obey60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E15Odessa60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E16A Time to Trust60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E17By Means Most Foul60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E18Trundel's Will Be Done60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E19Moseley's Lot60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E20Family Reunion60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E21Sanctuary60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S5E22The Law on Trial60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
Season 622 episodes
- S6E1A Small War (1)60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E2A Small War (2)60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E3Brother's Keeper60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E4A Frenzied Affair60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E5Discovery60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E6Random's Child60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E7An Occupational Hazard60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E8Last Rites60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E9When the Music Stopped60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E10Flowers from a Lady60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E11Private Sessions60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E12Judgement Day60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E13Falsely Accused60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E14A Step Removed60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E15A Deadly Affection60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E16The Leftover Man (1)60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E17The Leftover Man (2)60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E18A Dish Best Served Cold60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E19Legacy60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E20Even Nice People60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E21Lake Winahatchie60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S6E22A Correct Settling60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
Season 724 episodes
- S7E1Child's Play60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E2Hatton's Turn (1)60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E3Hatton's Turn (2)60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E4A Depraved Heart60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E5Incident at Brewer's Pond60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E6A Love Lost60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E7Singin' the Blues60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E8Virgil Tibbs, Attorney at Law60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E9Every Man's Family60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E10A Baby Called Rocket60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E11Little Girl Lost60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E12Your Own Kind60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E13Good Cop, Bad Cop60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E14Maybelle Returns60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E15The Last Round60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E16Ches and the Grand Lady60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E17Conspiracy of One60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E18The Rabbi60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E19Hard Choices60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E20Time's Long Shadow60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E21Poor Relations60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E22Dangerous Engagement60mAmazon Prime VideoTubi
- S7E23In the Heat of the Night: Give Me Your Life60m
- S7E24Give Me Your Life (2)60m
Season 84 episodes
- S8E1In the Heat of the Night: A Matter of Justice120m
- S8E2Who Was Geli Bendl ?120m
- S8E3By Duty Bound120m
- S8E4Grow Old Along with Me120m