Both shows premiered on NBC in the 1980s and ended in the
1990s.
In The Heat Of The Night: 1988-1995
Hunter: 1984-1991
Both shows began with a pilot movie, lasted seven years and ended due to cancellation.
Both shows starred ex-professional football stars.
In The Heat Of The Night:
Alan Autry - Quarterback for Green Bay Packers. (as Carlos Brown)
Carl Weathers -
Hunter:
Fred Dryer - Defensive End for New York Giants
& Los Angeles Rams.
Both shows have deceased cast members.
In The Heat Of The Night: Carroll O'Connor, Hugh O'Connor & Howard Rollins.
Hunter: Charles Hallahan
In The Heat Of The Night's
Alan Autry, Anne-Marie Johnson, Christopher Allport & Rugg Williams
made guest appearances on seperate episodes of Hunter.
Hunter's
Charles Hallahan made a guest appearance on In
The Heat Of The Night.
In In The Heat Of The Night's episode Missing, Bill Gillespie was kidnapped by a group of vigilanties, presumed dead and later released.
In the Hunter episode Shades, Rick Hunter was also kidnapped by a group of vigilantes, presumed dead and later released.
Both shows had an epiosode that aired in the '90s which was titled "Unfinished Business", which dealt with past romances between partnered male and female police officers.
In the In The Heat Of The Night episode entitled Random's Child, Bill Gillespie makes peace with the daughter he never knew he had.
In the Hunter episode entitled Yesterday's Child, the same thing happened to Rick Hunter when he met his son.
