Flashback: 'In the Heat of the Night'

Nowadays we groan at the mere thought of Hollywood retouching a “classic”, whether it be a great success (Bel-Air) or a forgettable farce (Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, House Party, Space Jam 2). But remakes and reboots of previous works have been normal in this industry. It just hadn’t happened to IP we grew up with. A perfect example is the late 80s crime drama, In the Heat of the Night.

For us, the televised procedural of Sparta’s police department battling crime, class, and racism in the Deep South was fresh and provocative. The fact it addressed these issues for primetime TV at that time is still quite radical. But for anyone who was an adult at that time, the series was a huge risk, given it dared to retell a narrative based on a novel that was forever captured on screen by the film starring the late great, Sidney Potier. I can only imagine the pearl-clutching gasps that were exhausted when the show was first announced. It would be like them announcing a series based on Do the Right Thing (don’t get any ideas). It feels sacrilegious.

Fortunately, this was a risk that reaped great rewards. The NBC drama lasted for eight seasons and remains in syndication. More importantly, the content remains relevant speaking to issues such as poverty, domestic violence, sexual violence, and racism. This Flashback Friday, I present some of my all-time favorite episodes.

“Fifteen Forever” S2.19

The town is rocked by a drunk-driving accident that steals the life of a young teenage girl. The pursuit of the suspect becomes complicated as clues link to someone respected within the community.

“The Hammer and the Glove” 2.4

Michael Warren guest stars as Virigl’s former colleague and Althea’s former lover. While Virgil basks in the pair’s glory days, his friend has ulterior motives for visiting Sparta as the police work to hide an FBI witness.

“Tear Down The Walls” 2.10

A reverend is murdered as he seeks to integrate his all-white church, revealing a tawdry scandal within the church and the small town.

“Gunshot” 2.7

Virgil shoots and kills an alleged thief as he believes they were armed. But he unravels when he discovers the victim was a teenage girl, and no gun is found on the scene.

“Rape” 3.1

Before Law & Order: SVU tackled rape culture, the series attempted to dispel harmful myths with this pivotal episode. Althea’s suspicions about the new music teacher at Sparta High come true when the man violently stalks and violates her.