In the Heat of the Night is an American television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name starring Carroll O’Connor as the white police chief William Gillespie, and Howard Rollins as the African-American police detective Virgil Tibbs. It was broadcast on NBC from 1988 until 1992, and then on CBS until 1995. Its executive producers were Fred Silverman, Juanita Bartlett and Carroll O’Connor. TGG Direct released the first season of the series to DVD on August 28, 2012.

While Jane Holman (Mastrantonio) is driving with her two sons, she accidentally runs into a drifter, Jack McCloud (Swayze), who breaks his leg. Being responsible, Jane invites Jack, and his dog, to stay at her home until his leg has healed. Jack struggles to adapt their lifestyle, and finds himself loved by the family. He starts teaching baseball to Tom, who misses his father, who was lost in the Korean war. Jack and Tom develop a strong bond of friendship. Meanwhile, Gunny believes that there is more to Jack and Betty Jane than meets the eye… We learn that Jack, is Jack McCloud, a Star White Socks baseball player in 1941, who dropped out of the league, after his first season, and; “was never heard from again” … A wonderful story. We witness magic between a boy’s imagination, and Jack’s dog, and are never sure if we are witnessing imagination or magic by the dog. A story of friendship, family, and learning that life isn’t always as cut and dried as we often believe.

District Attorney Tom Logan is set for higher office, at least until he becomes involved with defence lawyer Laura Kelly and her unpredictable client Chelsea Deardon. It seems the least of Chelsea’s crimes is the theft of a very valuable painting, but as the women persuade Logan to investigate further and to cut some official corners, a much more sinister scenario starts to emerge.