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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 (7,214 votes)
Seasons
8
Streaming (US)
Amazon Prime Video · Philo · The Roku Channel · Tubi TV
Language
EN
Type
TV series
Browse all Bad finale seasons in the explorer → Open in Rising Shows app → View on IMDb

Ratings refreshed Jul 3, 2026 · 8 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1988)

8.26 avg 8 episodes 8.5 → 8.4 57 min avg

Ep 1: 8.5 · 274 votesEp 2: 8.5 · 199 votesEp 3: 8.1 · 169 votesEp 4: 8.0 · 147 votesEp 5: 8.1 · 127 votesEp 6: 8.5 · 108 votesEp 7: 8.0 · 138 votesEp 8: 8.4 · 135 votes
Season 1 episodes — IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1Pilot: Part 18.5274
2Pilot: Part 28.5199
3Road Kill8.1169
4Fate8.0147
5Blind Spot: Part 18.1127
6Blind Spot: Part 28.5108
7A Necessary Evil8.0138
8...And Then You Die8.4135

Season 2 (1988)

8.22 avg 22 episodes 8.5 → 8.2 52 min avg

Ep 1: 8.5 · 152 votesEp 2: 8.6 · 123 votesEp 3: 8.4 · 134 votesEp 4: 8.2 · 129 votesEp 5: 8.8 · 145 votesEp 6: 7.7 · 114 votesEp 7: 8.3 · 124 votesEp 8: 8.1 · 140 votesEp 9: 8.2 · 103 votesEp 10: 8.2 · 100 votesEp 11: 9.0 · 176 votesEp 12: 8.0 · 132 votesEp 13: 8.2 · 102 votesEp 14: 8.1 · 93 votesEp 15: 8.2 · 103 votesEp 16: 8.1 · 113 votesEp 17: 8.3 · 99 votesEp 18: 8.1 · 109 votesEp 19: 8.2 · 140 votesEp 20: 8.0 · 106 votesEp 21: 7.4 · 109 votesEp 22: 8.2 · 153 votes
Season 2 episodes — IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1Don't Look Back: Part 18.5152
2Don't Look Back: Part 28.6123
3The Family Secret8.4134
4The Hammer and the Glove8.2129
5Prisoners8.8145
6Hot Nights7.7114
7Gunshot8.3124
8Country Mouse, City Mouse8.1140
9Stranger in Town8.2103
10Tear Down the Walls8.2100
11A Trip Upstate9.0176
12A.K.A. Kelly Kay8.0132
13These Things Take Time8.2102
14Intruders8.193
15The Creek8.2103
16Sister, Sister8.1113
17Walkout8.399
18Accused8.1109
19Fifteen Forever8.2140
20Ladybug, Ladybug8.0106
21The Pig Woman of Sparta7.4109
22Missing8.2153

Season 3 (1989)

8.20 avg 22 episodes 9.1 → 8.7 53 min avg

Ep 1: 9.1 · 176 votesEp 2: 7.9 · 107 votesEp 3: 8.1 · 107 votesEp 4: 8.5 · 137 votesEp 5: 8.6 · 161 votesEp 6: 8.6 · 105 votesEp 7: 7.7 · 93 votesEp 8: 8.5 · 111 votesEp 9: 7.8 · 102 votesEp 10: 7.2 · 84 votesEp 11: 7.8 · 98 votesEp 12: 8.1 · 111 votesEp 13: 8.2 · 120 votesEp 14: 8.1 · 113 votesEp 15: 7.9 · 110 votesEp 16: 8.4 · 110 votesEp 17: 7.8 · 93 votesEp 18: 7.8 · 86 votesEp 19: 8.5 · 98 votesEp 20: 8.4 · 91 votesEp 21: 8.6 · 99 votesEp 22: 8.7 · 109 votes
Season 3 episodes — IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1Rape9.1176
2Fairest of Them All7.9107
3Murder Most Ancient8.1107
4First Girl8.5137
5Crackdown8.6161
6Anniversary8.6105
7Time of the Stranger7.793
8Vengeance8.5111
9My Name Is Hank7.8102
10King's Ransom7.284
11Epitaph for a Lady7.898
12Triangle8.1111
13Hello in There8.2120
14December Days8.1113
15A Loss of Innocence7.9110
16Bubba's Baby8.4110
17Home Is Where the Heart Is7.893
18An Angry Woman7.886
19Indiscretions8.598
20Night of the Killing8.491
21Citizen Trundel: Part 18.699
22Citizen Trundel: Part 28.7109

Season 4 (1990)

8.29 avg 22 episodes 8.7 → 7.7 53 min avg

Ep 1: 8.7 · 105 votesEp 2: 8.6 · 99 votesEp 3: 8.3 · 98 votesEp 4: 8.8 · 108 votesEp 5: 8.9 · 117 votesEp 6: 8.3 · 81 votesEp 7: 8.4 · 80 votesEp 8: 8.2 · 78 votesEp 9: 8.1 · 76 votesEp 10: 8.5 · 77 votesEp 11: 8.0 · 79 votesEp 12: 8.5 · 86 votesEp 13: 8.1 · 83 votesEp 14: 8.4 · 88 votesEp 15: 8.0 · 83 votesEp 16: 8.4 · 96 votesEp 17: 7.9 · 74 votesEp 18: 8.5 · 101 votesEp 19: 8.2 · 84 votesEp 20: 7.9 · 85 votesEp 21: 7.9 · 69 votesEp 22: 7.7 · 70 votes
Season 4 episodes — IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1Brotherly Love: Part 18.7105
2Brotherly Love: Part 28.699
3Lessons Learned8.398
4Perversions of Justice8.8108
5And Justice for Some8.9117
6Heart of Gold8.381
7Quick Fix8.480
8Homecoming8.278
9A Problem Too Personal8.176
10A Final Arrangement8.577
11Family Matters8.079
12Bounty Hunter8.586
13Blessings8.183
14Shine on Sparta Moon8.488
15An Execution of Trust8.083
16A Child of Promise8.496
17Paper Castles7.974
18Laid to Waste8.5101
19First Deadly Sin8.284
20Just a Country Boy7.985
21No Other Road7.969
22A Turning7.770

Season 5 (1991)

8.29 avg 22 episodes 8.5 → 8.2 50 min avg

Ep 1: 8.5 · 121 votesEp 2: 8.1 · 74 votesEp 3: 8.1 · 80 votesEp 4: 8.0 · 85 votesEp 5: 8.6 · 77 votesEp 6: 8.2 · 79 votesEp 7: 8.9 · 98 votesEp 8: 8.7 · 138 votesEp 9: 8.5 · 83 votesEp 10: 8.4 · 89 votesEp 11: 8.2 · 78 votesEp 12: 7.8 · 69 votesEp 13: 8.1 · 81 votesEp 14: 8.8 · 82 votesEp 15: 8.0 · 75 votesEp 16: 7.7 · 64 votesEp 17: 8.3 · 72 votesEp 18: 8.4 · 84 votesEp 19: 8.1 · 71 votesEp 20: 8.3 · 95 votesEp 21: 8.4 · 90 votesEp 22: 8.2 · 90 votes
Season 5 episodes — IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1A Woman Much Admired8.5121
2Baby for Sale8.174
3Obsession8.180
4Liar's Poker8.085
5Ruda's Awakening8.677
6Unfinished Business8.279
7The More Things Change8.998
8Sweet, Sweet Blues8.7138
9Sparta Gold8.583
10An Eye for an Eye8.489
11The Littlest Victim8.278
12The Landlord7.869
13Fool for Love8.181
14Love, Honor and Obey8.882
15Odessa8.075
16A Time to Trust7.764
17By Means Most Foul8.372
18Trundel's Will Be Done8.484
19Moseley's Lot8.171
20Family Reunion8.395
21Sanctuary8.490
22The Law on Trial8.290

Season 6 (1992)

8.18 avg 22 episodes 8.6 → 8.7 51 min avg

Ep 1: 8.6 · 89 votesEp 2: 8.6 · 79 votesEp 3: 8.3 · 82 votesEp 4: 8.2 · 89 votesEp 5: 8.2 · 64 votesEp 6: 8.6 · 77 votesEp 7: 8.0 · 72 votesEp 8: 8.0 · 81 votesEp 9: 7.2 · 89 votesEp 10: 8.4 · 74 votesEp 11: 8.6 · 78 votesEp 12: 8.2 · 72 votesEp 13: 8.4 · 74 votesEp 14: 7.8 · 71 votesEp 15: 8.0 · 77 votesEp 16: 8.2 · 73 votesEp 17: 8.0 · 65 votesEp 18: 7.9 · 77 votesEp 19: 7.9 · 90 votesEp 20: 7.7 · 78 votesEp 21: 8.4 · 72 votesEp 22: 8.7 · 68 votes
Season 6 episodes — IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1A Small War: Part 18.689
2A Small War: Part 28.679
3Brother's Keeper8.382
4A Frenzied Affair8.289
5Discovery8.264
6Random's Child8.677
7An Occupational Hazard8.072
8Last Rights8.081
9When the Music Stopped7.289
10Flowers from a Lady8.474
11Private Sessions8.678
12Judgment Day8.272
13Falsely Accused8.474
14A Step Removed7.871
15Deadly Affection8.077
16Leftover Man: Part 18.273
17Leftover Man: Part 28.065
18A Dish Best Served Cold7.977
19Legacy7.990
20Even Nice People7.778
21Lake Winahatchie8.472
22A Correct Settling8.768

Season 7 (1993)

8.17 avg 24 episodes 8.6 → 8.4 52 min avg

Ep 1: 8.6 · 83 votesEp 2: 8.4 · 93 votesEp 3: 8.7 · 83 votesEp 4: 9.0 · 106 votesEp 5: 7.8 · 73 votesEp 6: 8.3 · 69 votesEp 7: 8.6 · 89 votesEp 8: 8.4 · 72 votesEp 9: 8.5 · 86 votesEp 10: 8.5 · 65 votesEp 11: 8.5 · 87 votesEp 12: 7.8 · 67 votesEp 13: 8.2 · 67 votesEp 14: 8.0 · 75 votesEp 15: 8.1 · 62 votesEp 16: 8.0 · 84 votesEp 17: 7.9 · 67 votesEp 18: 7.4 · 73 votesEp 19: 7.8 · 60 votesEp 20: 7.7 · 62 votesEp 21: 7.5 · 74 votesEp 22: 8.7 · 74 votesEp 23: 7.4 · 130 votesEp 24: 8.4 · 89 votes
Season 7 episodes — IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1Child's Play8.683
2Hatton's Turn: Part 18.493
3Hatton's Turn: Part 28.783
4A Depraved Heart9.0106
5Incident at Brewer's Pond7.873
6A Love Lost8.369
7Singin' the Blues8.689
8Virgil Tibbs: Attorney at Law8.472
9Every Man's Family8.586
10A Baby Called Rocket8.565
11Little Girl Lost8.587
12Your Own Kind7.867
13Good Cop, Bad Cop8.267
14Maybelle Returns8.075
15The Last Round8.162
16Ches and the Grand Lady8.084
17Conspiracy of One7.967
18The Rabbi7.473
19Hard Choices7.860
20Time's Long Shadow7.762
21Poor Relations7.574
22Dangerous Engagement8.774
23Give Me Your Life: Part 17.4130
24Give Me Your Life: Part 28.489

Season 8 (1994)

7.55 avg 4 episodes 7.7 → 7.8 95 min avg

Ep 1: 7.7 · 209 votesEp 2: 7.3 · 138 votesEp 3: 7.4 · 153 votesEp 4: 7.8 · 166 votes
Season 8 episodes — IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1A Matter of Justice7.7209
2Who Was Geli Bendl?7.3138
3By Duty Bound7.4153
4Grow Old Along with Me7.8166
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Episode ratings and vote counts from IMDb. Poster, overview, and streaming data from TMDB. Data refreshed 2026-07-03.

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