When Joe Don Baker was brought in as Tom Dugan for the last few episodes of the 1988-1989 season while Gillespie was attending a police chief's convention, Carroll O'Connor was actually recovering from heart bypass surgery.
The 1989-1990 season was shown slightly out of order. Instead of beginning with the episode "Rape", the season was originally to begin with the episode entitled "Anniversary", which was actually a continuation of the previous season's finale. Carroll O'Connor liked the strong message in "Rape", so it was used as the season premere. "Anniversary" was shown a few episodes into the season.
The episode "Every Man's Family" from the 1993-1994 season was actually a pilot episode for a proposed spinoff where Bubba got his own series. Although a fine episode, the new series never came to be.
Carroll O'Connor wrote and/or directed various episodes under the penname Matt Harris. He used the alias out of fear that his work would not be recieved well by televivion critics.
Youthful looking actress Tonea Stewart underwent a daily 3 1/2 hour makeup treatment to transform her into elderly Aunt Etta.
In 1973 in his first year with the Los Angeles Rams, NFL player-turned-actor Fred Dryer set the NFL record for the most safeties in a single game (2), capturing a 24-7 victory for the Rams against the Green Bay Packers. Alan Autry would play for the Packers two years later.
The building used as the Sparta Police Station was asctually the Covington, Georgia public library. Aditionally, the building used as the Magnolia Cafe was an insurance agency.
Over the course of the show's CBS years, Lonnie Jamison developed a friendship with Lana Ferren, Bill Gillespie's daughter. Whil Christine Elise played Carroll O'Connor's daughter on the show, his real-life son, Hugh, played Lonnie Jamison.
Carroll O'Connor passed away on the same day as blues legend John Lee Hooker. Their stars are diectly next to each other on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.