In the process of trying to clear his friend's name, he first becomes a target, then framed for murder himself. They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! Althea and Virgil are frustrated trying to bring Ainslee to justice because new district attorney Gerard Darnelle (Wilbur Fitzgerald) doesn't have enough evidence to prosecute him, especially a positive ID (Ainslee blindfolded Althea with her scarf during the attack, so she didn't see Ainslee's face, but she recognized his voice), and Ainslee's wife Linda provides him with an alibi saying that he was at home with her at the time that Althea was attacked. The character of Joanne St. John was eliminated to make room for Sparta city Councilwoman Harriet DeLong (Denise Nicholas) as Chief Gillespie's future love interest, first as a recurring character, then later, as a main cast member. After the first black woman to join the force, Officer Christine Rankin, died in the line of duty on her first day on the job, Corbin is recruited to take her place. O'Connor wanted the chief to undergo heart surgery in the storyline, but the husband and wife producers came up with this storyline instead. Wednesday 9 AM - 3 PM An attractive divorce, Harriet was college-educated (an Alpha Kappa Alpha member), outspoken, and brimming with attitude, which was a turn-off to Gillespie at first and the two of them did not get along. He is a very perceptive character. To explain his absence, he was said to be in New Orleans working for the FBI. This story arc was of special significance to series co-star Denise Nicholas, who played Harriet DeLong. He asked her to write a script, which she did. If he liked you, he really liked you and would be there for you."[6]. Emergency: Phone 911 8. Althea Tibbs grapples with the effects and aftermath of rape in the explosive season premiere episode titled "Rape". The principal area of Sparta was in fact downtown Covington, Georgia. Burgess Meredith (in one of his last acting roles) also appears as an eccentric judge overseeing a case (he would return for a brief cameo in Season 7.). 608-269-3122. The department is staffed by a full time Chief, Andrew Milanowski, four (4) full time officers, and eight (8) part time officers who average ten (10) years or more of law enforcement experience. It was discovered that he needed sextuple heart bypass surgery, due to years of heavy smoking. Simpson, the man who nearly played Virgil Tibbs. The Sparta Police Department serves a population of over 9,500 residents, with 21 sworn officers, one code enforcement officer, and two non-sworn administrative assistants. In the midst of all this, Harriet's son Eugene is a witness to a drive-by shooting involving rival drug gangs. As Lonnie Jamison, he is an officer and later, acting investigator on the Sparta police force. This initial funding covered the purchase of Nitro and the teams training; as well as outfitting a K-9 squad, start-up supplies, and veterinary services. The series was cancelled (again) after season seven, only to return (again) for an eighth season of four TV movies. The conflict between Sheriff McComb and Chief Gillespie lingers on throughout the following season, and that conflict affects every crossover dealing with subsequent interactions between McComb's deputies and Gillespie's officers. 2. The show itself is a sequel to the 1967 film, set several years in the future. to Philadelphia. Gillespie is a tough but honorable small city police chief. CTU was created to handle those rare high-risk incidents that require a unique set of skills and equipment not typically possessed by a patrol officer. The cases and adventures of the police forces in and around Sparta, Mississippi. The show previously aired on TNT from 1995 to 2005. The Sparta Police Departments core values are the preservation of human life, integrity, professionalism, and service. Friday 9 AM - 3 PM Despite numerous attempts by the media to contact Rollins, who was believed to be living in New York City, only series star Carroll O'Connor was in contact with Rollins during this period. UGA star Jalen Carter responds after police say he was racing another car that crashed. It was the final straw in a long line of complaints; these producers were fired at the end of the season, with O'Connor becoming the executive producer for season three and beyond. Culbreth appeared on nine episodes as Sheriff McComb. Althea did not reappear for the 7th season, and her character was written out as Althea had been separated from Virgil and moved back to Pennsylvania. "Bill" Gillespie. The Sparta Police Departments officers and staff are dedicated to serving the city and its citizens through the Patrol, Criminal Investigations and Support Services Divisions. It was released Christmas 1991 and 1992, and was among the top holiday recordings of those years around the South and Midwest. First joined the cast in a recurring role in 1989 as Sparta City Councilwoman Harriet DeLong. Both locations can visually and audibly record training so they can be critiqued after each session. robbery, rape, incest, stalking, drunk driving, government . Sparta Police Department is administered and headed by the Chief of Police, Chief Thomas Clayton. - Bloody and infectious waste In fact, during the series' run, many of the cast members had homes in the area and were often spotted in local restaurants and retail stores. Gillespie once referred to her as "The Dragon Lady". The 1967 film In the Heat of the Night was set in Sparta, but was actually filmed in and around Sparta, Illinois. Also played Nurse Jill and Lydia Kinsey. (Seasons 37), Roy Eversole, Parker Williams' step-father. When Carroll O'Connor approached Nicholas about the storyline, it had upset her greatly and she had to write him a note explaining the situation, as he was unaware of the circumstances. [2] O'Connor described Bartlett as a very arrogant person. But did you know that the story of chief Bill Gillespie and detective Virgil Tibbs has been going on for more than half a century? "Gunshot", where Virgil experiences guilt and mental trauma after he shoots and kills a female robbery suspect, introduces a character with a criminal past who later becomes invaluable in supplying Gillespie and the Sparta P.D. LuAnn often drove Gillespie around and was the go-between for him and Harriet before the two of them went public with their relationship. As a result, he is temporarily suspended from his duties as chief of police pending an investigation and intent on seeking out Rankin's killer. When Gillespie moves into his new home in Season 7, Bobby moves along with him. By the time Denise Nicholas becomes a series regular, Harriet and Gillespie are romantically involved, much to the disapproval of her son, Eugene, and others in Sparta who are opposed to interracial relationships. Trainings are conducted at various locations throughout Monroe County including the military installations of Fort McCoy and Volk Field. [citation needed]. Other storylines include Sweet's quest to discover the truth about the murder of his grandfather in 1948 and those responsible for it (a story loosely based on the murder of Medgar Evers, "Sweet, Sweet Blues"[7]) and racists sabotaging a celebration honoring a Sparta civil rights pioneer in "Odessa", the first of six scripts that Denise Nicholas wrote. Althea, Ainslee's boss, had an uneasy relationship with him from the outset because he had trouble handling her authority, and it culminated in the attack. - Empty medication containers Christian CountyDispatch can be reached at (417) 582-1030. . At first, she allowed him to consult on the series per his contract. The department operates around the clock and typically responds to 19,000 or more calls for service each year. is found dead, and it's at first labeled as a suicide. - Needles or other sharp objects Dr. Frank "Doc" Robb, physician and medical examiner (Season 28), District Attorney Gerard Darnelle (Seasons 38), Eugene Glendon, Harriet DeLong's teenage son (Seasons 47). Season 2 Excluded Episodes: The Family Secret, The Hammer and the Glove, A Trip Upstate, Intruders, Sister Sister, Walkout; Personalized; Categories Sparta, Mississippi Police Department Patches. The City of Sparta was incorporated in 1883 and the Sparta Police Department developed a short while after. Lana Farren, Gillespie's daughter by Georgia Farren as the result of a long-ago love affair. (616) 776-0668. After season 6, Anne-Marie Johnson and Geoffrey Thorne left the series alongside Rollins. In 1988, he starred as the fictional Sparta, Mississippi, Police Chief 'Bill Gillespie,' a tough veteran Mississippi cop in television's "In the Heat of the Night," based on the 1967 movie of the same name, and cast his son Hugh O'Connor as Officer Lonnie Jamison in the show. In The Heat Of The Nightlives on. - Thermometers Track Order. [5] Denise Nicholas, who played Harriet DeLong, said "Carroll set the standard for loyalty. Episodes were not necessarily aired in the order they were filmed, which explains why Tibbs was present one week and not the next. [1] Eight episodes were filmedthe two-hour pilot movie and six regular one-hour episodes. In the Heat of the Night won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series (formally Outstanding Drama Series, Mini-Series or Television Movie), two years in a row, 1992 and 1993. The episode "Conspiracy of One", where Virgil suspects that one of his law firm's clients orchestrated an "accident" which resulted in his spouse's death, marks Howard Rollins' final appearance on the show (air date February 2, 1994). Decatur in Dekalb County was used as a stand-in for an episode as the Mississippi Capital city of Jackson, and Atlanta itself was used in one episode, in which Bubba worked on a case there. The season finale "Missing" has the chief being kidnapped upon his return to Sparta by two men in pig masks, and the police and the FBI are trying to locate him and those responsible. The show dealt with a variety of issues, including racism, police brutality, interracial relationships, hate crimes, drug trafficking, drug addiction, alcoholism, AIDS, misogyny, incest, child abuse, sexual harassment, euthanasia, anti-Semitism, political corruption, prostitution, domestic violence, mental disorders, dysfunctional families, suicide, capital punishment, poverty, and drunk driving. The series also airs in broadcast syndication on Ovation. Each day they put their lives on the line to protect us. When NBC chose not to renewITHOTNafter five seasons in 1992, CBS quickly picked up the series. Emily Trundel, V.J. Dec 24, 2015 - Former public library in Covington, GA that was used as city hall and Sparta police in seasons #2 and up. Ten years earlier, her real-life sister had been murdered and the culprit had never been caught. Like the original movie, the television series also took place in a fictionalized version of Sparta, Mississippi. [1] If the show was going to be renewed, then O'Connor was not interested and threatened to quit the show if Bartlett was not replaced as executive producer. Cast as Officer LuAnn Corbin in Season 3. Ainslee invades Virgil and Althea's home during this time and attempts to attack Althea again, but Althea fights back and Ainslee is arrested. The season finale "Missing" has the chief being kidnapped upon his return to Sparta by two men in pig masks, and the police and the FBI are trying to locate him and those responsible. Come check out our giant selection of T-Shirts, Mugs, Tote Bags, Stickers and More. - Bandages She resides with Virgil and Althea Tibbs and is caretaker of their twins, William Calvin and Sarah Ruth. The first two episodes of the season see the secret romance between Gillespie and DeLong intensify. Their relationship in the TV series is much less adversarial than it is in the film version. Althea, who was a stay-at-home wife in Season 1, is offered a position as a teacher and guidance counselor at local Sparta High School by city Councilman Ted Marcus (Thom Gossom Jr.). Office Hours: Officers volunteer to be part of the Unit and perform most of the same functions as their motorized counterparts. (Seasons 67), Virgil's maternal aunt Ruda Gibson (Seasons 46), Vic Glendon, Harriet DeLong's ex-husband and Eugene's father (Seasons 46), District Attorney Myron Dutton (Season 2), Tyrell Gibson, Virgil Tibbs' younger cousin and Ruda Gibson's son (Season 46), Nurse Tracey Boggs, Bubba's girlfriend. Relationship in the Heat of the Unit and perform most of the Unit and perform most of Night! Dead, and it 's at first labeled as a suicide is an officer and later, acting on! Values are the preservation of human life, integrity, professionalism, and was the go-between him... Before the two of them went public with their relationship in the TV series is much adversarial. 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