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In the Heat of the Night poster

In the Heat of the Night (1988)

Crime · Drama · Mystery

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.

IMDb rating
7.6 (7,339 votes)
Episode average
8.2 ↑ +0.6 vs IMDb
Seasons
8
Streaming (US)
Amazon Prime Video
Language
EN
Type
TV series

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Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 8 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1988)

8.28 avg 8 episodes 8.5 → 8.4 57 min avg

Ep 1: 8.5 · 284 votesEp 2: 8.5 · 203 votesEp 3: 8.1 · 175 votesEp 4: 8.0 · 155 votesEp 5: 8.1 · 130 votesEp 6: 8.6 · 111 votesEp 7: 8.0 · 145 votesEp 8: 8.4 · 142 votes
Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1Pilot: Part 18.5284
2Pilot: Part 28.5203
3Road Kill8.1175
4Fate8.0155
5Blind Spot: Part 18.1130
6Blind Spot: Part 28.6111
7A Necessary Evil8.0145
8...And Then You Die8.4142

Season 2 (1988)

8.25 avg 22 episodes 8.5 → 8.3 50 min avg

Ep 1: 8.5 · 155 votesEp 2: 8.5 · 127 votesEp 3: 8.5 · 138 votesEp 4: 8.2 · 131 votesEp 5: 8.8 · 150 votesEp 6: 7.8 · 116 votesEp 7: 8.3 · 132 votesEp 8: 8.1 · 147 votesEp 9: 8.3 · 107 votesEp 10: 8.2 · 104 votesEp 11: 9.0 · 186 votesEp 12: 8.1 · 138 votesEp 13: 8.3 · 107 votesEp 14: 8.1 · 99 votesEp 15: 8.2 · 107 votesEp 16: 8.2 · 118 votesEp 17: 8.3 · 104 votesEp 18: 8.1 · 114 votesEp 19: 8.3 · 143 votesEp 20: 8.0 · 111 votesEp 21: 7.4 · 113 votesEp 22: 8.3 · 159 votes
Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1Don't Look Back: Part 18.5155
2Don't Look Back: Part 28.5127
3The Family Secret8.5138
4The Hammer and the Glove8.2131
5Prisoners8.8150
6Hot Nights7.8116
7Gunshot8.3132
8Country Mouse, City Mouse8.1147
9Stranger in Town8.3107
10Tear Down the Walls8.2104
11A Trip Upstate9.0186
12A.K.A. Kelly Kay8.1138
13These Things Take Time8.3107
14Intruders8.199
15The Creek8.2107
16Sister, Sister8.2118
17Walkout8.3104
18Accused8.1114
19Fifteen Forever8.3143
20Ladybug, Ladybug8.0111
21The Pig Woman of Sparta7.4113
22Missing8.3159

Season 3 (1989)

8.17 avg 22 episodes 9.1 → 8.6 52 min avg

Ep 1: 9.1 · 186 votesEp 2: 7.7 · 111 votesEp 3: 7.9 · 110 votesEp 4: 8.5 · 144 votesEp 5: 8.6 · 166 votesEp 6: 8.6 · 109 votesEp 7: 7.8 · 98 votesEp 8: 8.5 · 115 votesEp 9: 7.9 · 109 votesEp 10: 7.3 · 90 votesEp 11: 7.8 · 103 votesEp 12: 8.0 · 116 votesEp 13: 8.3 · 128 votesEp 14: 8.1 · 120 votesEp 15: 7.7 · 116 votesEp 16: 8.1 · 116 votesEp 17: 7.8 · 99 votesEp 18: 7.9 · 93 votesEp 19: 8.5 · 105 votesEp 20: 8.5 · 98 votesEp 21: 8.6 · 106 votesEp 22: 8.6 · 117 votes
Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1Rape9.1186
2Fairest of Them All7.7111
3Murder Most Ancient7.9110
4First Girl8.5144
5Crackdown8.6166
6Anniversary8.6109
7Time of the Stranger7.898
8Vengeance8.5115
9My Name Is Hank7.9109
10King's Ransom7.390
11Epitaph for a Lady7.8103
12Triangle8.0116
13Hello in There8.3128
14December Days8.1120
15A Loss of Innocence7.7116
16Bubba's Baby8.1116
17Home Is Where the Heart Is7.899
18An Angry Woman7.993
19Indiscretions8.5105
20Night of the Killing8.598
21Citizen Trundel: Part 18.6106
22Citizen Trundel: Part 28.6117

Season 4 (1990)

8.31 avg 22 episodes 8.7 → 7.7 53 min avg

Ep 1: 8.7 · 112 votesEp 2: 8.7 · 105 votesEp 3: 8.3 · 101 votesEp 4: 8.9 · 114 votesEp 5: 8.9 · 122 votesEp 6: 8.3 · 83 votesEp 7: 8.4 · 81 votesEp 8: 8.3 · 81 votesEp 9: 8.1 · 79 votesEp 10: 8.6 · 78 votesEp 11: 8.0 · 80 votesEp 12: 8.5 · 87 votesEp 13: 8.0 · 85 votesEp 14: 8.4 · 91 votesEp 15: 8.0 · 85 votesEp 16: 8.4 · 99 votesEp 17: 8.0 · 76 votesEp 18: 8.5 · 103 votesEp 19: 8.2 · 86 votesEp 20: 8.0 · 86 votesEp 21: 7.9 · 70 votesEp 22: 7.7 · 71 votes
Season 4 episodes - IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1Brotherly Love: Part 18.7112
2Brotherly Love: Part 28.7105
3Lessons Learned8.3101
4Perversions of Justice8.9114
5And Justice for Some8.9122
6Heart of Gold8.383
7Quick Fix8.481
8Homecoming8.381
9A Problem Too Personal8.179
10A Final Arrangement8.678
11Family Matters8.080
12Bounty Hunter8.587
13Blessings8.085
14Shine on Sparta Moon8.491
15An Execution of Trust8.085
16A Child of Promise8.499
17Paper Castles8.076
18Laid to Waste8.5103
19First Deadly Sin8.286
20Just a Country Boy8.086
21No Other Road7.970
22A Turning7.771

Season 5 (1991)

8.30 avg 22 episodes 8.6 → 8.3 50 min avg

Ep 1: 8.6 · 123 votesEp 2: 8.1 · 75 votesEp 3: 8.1 · 82 votesEp 4: 8.0 · 88 votesEp 5: 8.6 · 78 votesEp 6: 8.2 · 80 votesEp 7: 8.9 · 100 votesEp 8: 8.8 · 139 votesEp 9: 8.5 · 85 votesEp 10: 8.4 · 90 votesEp 11: 8.2 · 79 votesEp 12: 7.7 · 71 votesEp 13: 8.1 · 82 votesEp 14: 8.8 · 84 votesEp 15: 8.1 · 78 votesEp 16: 7.7 · 65 votesEp 17: 8.3 · 74 votesEp 18: 8.3 · 88 votesEp 19: 8.1 · 73 votesEp 20: 8.3 · 96 votesEp 21: 8.4 · 93 votesEp 22: 8.3 · 94 votes
Season 5 episodes - IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1A Woman Much Admired8.6123
2Baby for Sale8.175
3Obsession8.182
4Liar's Poker8.088
5Ruda's Awakening8.678
6Unfinished Business8.280
7The More Things Change8.9100
8Sweet, Sweet Blues8.8139
9Sparta Gold8.585
10An Eye for an Eye8.490
11The Littlest Victim8.279
12The Landlord7.771
13Fool for Love8.182
14Love, Honor and Obey8.884
15Odessa8.178
16A Time to Trust7.765
17By Means Most Foul8.374
18Trundel's Will Be Done8.388
19Moseley's Lot8.173
20Family Reunion8.396
21Sanctuary8.493
22The Law on Trial8.394

Season 6 (1992)

8.20 avg 22 episodes 8.6 → 8.7 51 min avg

Ep 1: 8.6 · 92 votesEp 2: 8.7 · 80 votesEp 3: 8.3 · 84 votesEp 4: 8.2 · 91 votesEp 5: 8.2 · 66 votesEp 6: 8.6 · 79 votesEp 7: 8.0 · 74 votesEp 8: 8.1 · 83 votesEp 9: 7.3 · 93 votesEp 10: 8.4 · 78 votesEp 11: 8.6 · 83 votesEp 12: 8.3 · 74 votesEp 13: 8.3 · 77 votesEp 14: 7.8 · 74 votesEp 15: 8.0 · 78 votesEp 16: 8.2 · 75 votesEp 17: 8.0 · 67 votesEp 18: 7.9 · 78 votesEp 19: 7.9 · 91 votesEp 20: 7.8 · 79 votesEp 21: 8.4 · 73 votesEp 22: 8.7 · 70 votes
Season 6 episodes - IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1A Small War: Part 18.692
2A Small War: Part 28.780
3Brother's Keeper8.384
4A Frenzied Affair8.291
5Discovery8.266
6Random's Child8.679
7An Occupational Hazard8.074
8Last Rights8.183
9When the Music Stopped7.393
10Flowers from a Lady8.478
11Private Sessions8.683
12Judgment Day8.374
13Falsely Accused8.377
14A Step Removed7.874
15Deadly Affection8.078
16Leftover Man: Part 18.275
17Leftover Man: Part 28.067
18A Dish Best Served Cold7.978
19Legacy7.991
20Even Nice People7.879
21Lake Winahatchie8.473
22A Correct Settling8.770

Season 7 (1993)

8.19 avg 24 episodes 8.5 → 8.4 52 min avg

Ep 1: 8.5 · 87 votesEp 2: 8.4 · 95 votesEp 3: 8.7 · 85 votesEp 4: 9.0 · 108 votesEp 5: 7.8 · 75 votesEp 6: 8.3 · 71 votesEp 7: 8.7 · 92 votesEp 8: 8.5 · 74 votesEp 9: 8.5 · 89 votesEp 10: 8.5 · 66 votesEp 11: 8.5 · 90 votesEp 12: 7.8 · 68 votesEp 13: 8.2 · 68 votesEp 14: 8.1 · 77 votesEp 15: 8.1 · 63 votesEp 16: 8.0 · 88 votesEp 17: 7.9 · 67 votesEp 18: 7.4 · 73 votesEp 19: 7.8 · 61 votesEp 20: 7.8 · 63 votesEp 21: 7.5 · 74 votesEp 22: 8.7 · 74 votesEp 23: 7.4 · 134 votesEp 24: 8.4 · 92 votes
Season 7 episodes - IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1Child's Play8.587
2Hatton's Turn: Part 18.495
3Hatton's Turn: Part 28.785
4A Depraved Heart9.0108
5Incident at Brewer's Pond7.875
6A Love Lost8.371
7Singin' the Blues8.792
8Virgil Tibbs: Attorney at Law8.574
9Every Man's Family8.589
10A Baby Called Rocket8.566
11Little Girl Lost8.590
12Your Own Kind7.868
13Good Cop, Bad Cop8.268
14Maybelle Returns8.177
15The Last Round8.163
16Ches and the Grand Lady8.088
17Conspiracy of One7.967
18The Rabbi7.473
19Hard Choices7.861
20Time's Long Shadow7.863
21Poor Relations7.574
22Dangerous Engagement8.774
23Give Me Your Life: Part 17.4134
24Give Me Your Life: Part 28.492

Season 8 (1994)

7.55 avg 4 episodes 7.7 → 7.8 95 min avg

Ep 1: 7.7 · 211 votesEp 2: 7.3 · 141 votesEp 3: 7.4 · 156 votesEp 4: 7.8 · 173 votes
Season 8 episodes - IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1A Matter of Justice7.7211
2Who Was Geli Bendl?7.3141
3By Duty Bound7.4156
4Grow Old Along with Me7.8173
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Episode ratings and vote counts from IMDb. Poster, overview, and streaming data from TMDB. Data refreshed 2026-10-03.

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