In The Heat Of The Night was based on the 1967 oscar-winning movie of the same name, which starred Rod Steiger as Bill Gillespie and Sidney Poitier as Virgil Tibbs. But with Carroll O'Connor taking over the Steiger role and Howard Rollins subbing for Tibbs, the show was an instant success.
The series began with Virgil Tibbs, a top homicide detective in South Philadelphia, returning to his hometown of Sparta, Mississippi for his mother's funeral. At the same time, the Sparta Police Department was in the middle of a big murder case and getting nowhere fast. Knowing Tibbs' expertise in his field, Sparta's mayor hired him on the spot as the new chief of detectives. This came as a big shock to the whole department, particularly Chief Gillespie. But gradually, Gillespie and Tibbs built a strong respect and friendship for each other.
This show dealt with many controversial topics, such as the rape of Tibbs' wife, Gillespie meeting the daughter he never knew he had and many more. Perhaps the most shocking was when Gillespie was voted out as chief for his interracial relationship with his one-time advesary, Councilwoman Harriet Delong, whom he eventually married.
