IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT: A TRIP UPSTATE (TV)
Summary
One in this series of police dramas set in a Mississippi town. In this episode, Gillespie learns that George Brownlow, a criminal he had captured, wishes to see him before he is executed. At first reluctant, Gillespie travels to the prison at Tibbs' suggestion and finds that Brownlow has requested that he serve as executor of his will. Gillespie is dumbfounded because he had very little contact with the man -- he caught him during a bank robbery attempt in which innocent people were killed. Upon meeting with Brownlow, Gillespie learns that he has become deeply religious during his incarceration; that he trusts Gillespie because the chief treated him humanely when he captured him; and that he has no one else on whom he can depend. Gillespie is shaken when Brownlow asks him to be present the following morning during his execution by lethal injection, and this leads the chief to question the morality of capital punishment. Also, Bubba spots a wanted killer while out fishing and D.A. Dutton pushes for the death penalty. Commercials deleted.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by MGM Worldwide Television Group.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: February 7, 1989 Tuesday 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:46:25
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:31412
- GENRE: Drama, police/detective
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, police/detective
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1988-1992; CBS - 1992-1994
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Moessinger … Executive Producer
- Fred Silverman … Executive Producer
- Jeri Taylor … Supervising Producer
- Edward Ledding … Producer
- Lee Maddux … Co-Producer
- Walton Dornisch … Associate Producer
- Jeff Hayden … Director
- Matt Harris … Writer
- John Ball … Based on the novel by
- James Lee Barrett … Developed by
- David Bell … Music by
- Quincy Jones … Theme Music by
- Alan Bergman … Theme Music by
- Marilyn Bergman … Theme Music by
- Chris Page … Theme Music by
- Bill Champlin … Theme Music by
- Carroll O'Connor … Cast, Chief Bill Gillespie
- Howard Rollins … Cast, Chief of Detectives Virgil Tibbs
- Alan Autry … Cast, Sgt. Bubba Skinner
- Lois Nettleton … Cast, Joann St. John
- David Hart … Cast, Deputy Parker Williams
- Geoffrey Thorne … Cast, Deputy Willson Sweet
- Hugh O'Connor … Cast, Deputy Lonnie Jamison
- Paul Benjamin … Cast, George Brownlow
- Christopher Allport … Cast, D.A. Dutton
- James Gammon … Cast, Sheriff Monroe
- Marc Clement … Cast, the Warden
- David Dwyer … Cast, Melvin Nally
- Randall Patrick … Cast, Lenny Cowes
- Rand Hopkins … Cast, the Salesman
- Emily Woodward … Cast, the Girl in the Boat
- Tom Key … Cast, the Guard