In the Heat of the Night: Season 1

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 4 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

No score yet

tbd

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

tbd	Your Score
tbd	User Score No score yet

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Season Details & Credits

NBC | Season Premiere Date: March 15, 1988

Starring: Christian LeBlanc, Carroll O'Connor, Anne-Marie Johnson

Summary: Based on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name, this series provided a hopeful, yet honest look at life in the new South. Set in the fictional Sparta, Mississippi, the show was a marvelous blend of heartfelt drama and folksy humor. It portrayed both the professional and personal pursuits of Sparta P.D's officers. Series starBased on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name, this series provided a hopeful, yet honest look at life in the new South. Set in the fictional Sparta, Mississippi, the show was a marvelous blend of heartfelt drama and folksy humor. It portrayed both the professional and personal pursuits of Sparta P.D's officers. Series star Carroll O'Connor, in a role far removed from Archie Bunker, served as executive producer. Using the pen name Matt Harris, Mr. O'Connor was also the story editor and wrote many of the episodes.… Expand

Genre(s): Drama, Suspense

Watch Now

Buy on

Stream On

Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E8. ...And Then You Die
Air Date: May 3, 1988
tbd
S1:E7. A Necessary Evil
Air Date: April 12, 1988
tbd
S1:E6. Blind Spot (2)
Air Date: April 5, 1988

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Tom Shales

Apr 22, 2014

Benefits incalculably from the presence of Carroll O'Connor and Howard Rollins in the lead roles -- a stubborn old Southern sheriff and the young black professional dispatched to assist him...[It is] pedestrian as murder mysteries go, but what sustains interest are the clashes and the growing camaraderie of the two men. [5 Mar 1988, p.B1]

Clifford Terry

Apr 22, 2014

Little more than a routine cop show with a racial overlay. The pornography- laced plot in the premiere is recycled stuff-you don't have to be a big- city detective to come up with the killer early on-and much of the dialogue lies as flat as a plate of week-old catfish. [4 Mar 1988, p.5C]

Apr 22, 2014

What In the Heat of the Night may lack most, ultimately, is heat, the fundamental tension between Gillespie and Tibbs that would lift them onto some higher ground beyond the TV cliche of innocently bickering partners. Read full review

David Friedman

Apr 22, 2014

In two unbearably long hours, the film says nothing that wasn't said first, or better, 21 years ago. And where the original had a palpable air of menace, a mood hot and sticky with fear, the TV sequel is as fast-moving as a stagnant pond. [4 Mar 1988, p.7]

User Score

Write a Review

tbd

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

No reviews yet.

More From Metacritic

What to Watch Right Now on Paramount+

Find a list of the best recent and upcoming film and TV titles added to...

What to Watch Right Now on Amazon's Prime Video

Get a list of the best movie and TV titles recently added (and coming...

What to Watch Right Now on Netflix

Get a list of the best movie and TV titles recently added (and coming...

What to Watch Right Now on Hulu

Get a list of the best movie and TV titles recently added (and coming...

Current TV Shows

By MetascoreBy User Score

1 92 The Pitt: Season 2

2 87 Hacks: Season 5

3 87 Industry: Season 4

4 87 Rivals

5 87 Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal:...

6 85 The Beatles Anthology

7 85 The Traitors [UK]: Season 4

8 85 Bait: Season 1

9 84 Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!

10 83 Lord of the Flies

11 83 Riot Women: Season 1

12 83 For All Mankind: Season 5

13 81 The Muppet Show (2026)

14 80 Outlander (2014): Season 8

15 80 The Other Bennet Sister: Season 1

16 80 The Comeback: Season 3

17 80 One Piece (2023): Season 2

18 80 Dark Winds: Season 4

19 79 How to Get to Heaven From...

20 79 Gary

SEE ALL

Seasons & Episodes

42

Series Overview
Season 8

tbd
- Season 8 Overview
  Air Date: October 21, 1994
Season 7

tbd
- Season 7 Overview
  Air Date: September 16, 1993
Season 6

tbd
- Season 6 Overview
  Air Date: October 28, 1992
Season 5

tbd
- Season 5 Overview
  Air Date: October 1, 1991
Season 4

tbd
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: September 18, 1990
Season 3

tbd
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: October 24, 1989
Season 2

tbd
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: December 4, 1988
Season 1

42
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: March 15, 1988
- tbd
  S1:E8. ...And Then You Die
  Air Date: May 3, 1988
- tbd
  S1:E7. A Necessary Evil
  Air Date: April 12, 1988
- tbd
  S1:E6. Blind Spot (2)
  Air Date: April 5, 1988
- tbd
  S1:E5. Blind Spot (1)
  Air Date: March 29, 1988
- tbd
  S1:E4. Fate
  Air Date: March 22, 1988
- tbd
  S1:E3. Road Kill
  Air Date: March 15, 1988
- tbd
  S1:E2. Pilot (2)
  Air Date: March 6, 1988
- tbd
  S1:E1. Pilot (1)
  Air Date: March 6, 1988