𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝗻 𝗡𝗕𝗖 𝗢𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟯𝟴 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗴𝗼 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 is an American police procedural crime drama television series loosely based on the 1965 novel by John Ball and the 1967 film directed by Norman Jewison. The TV series starred Carroll O'Connor as police chief William "Bill" Gillespie and Howard Rollins as police detective Virgil Tibbs. The series was broadcast on NBC from March 6, 1988, to May 19, 1992, before moving to CBS, where it aired from October 28, 1992, to May 16, 1995. Its executive producers were O'Connor, Fred Silverman and Juanita Bartlett. This series marked O'Connor's return to a series for the first time since the All in the Family spinoff Archie Bunker's Place ended in 1983. #ClassicTV #ClassicPoliceTV #InTheHeatOfTheNight #1988