tabascot I have enjoyed all of the shows very much starting from the original movie with Sidney. I am a southerner from close to Hammond Louisiana and was raised all over Louisiana and Mississippi. The characters and settings all take me back to childhood as they depict life as it was in that time. Carrol OConner is virtually unbelievable as an actor and writer. He literally folds himself into whatever role he is playing making it so real he could probably fool himself. Rollins,Autry, young Hugh and all the rest of the cast are by no means far behind. It's a shame to lose this show and sad for the actors that have gone on. I think one of my favorites of the show is Quincy Jones as I am into jazz music. His scores for all the scenes really brings out the edge in all they are trying to convey. Real bluesy. Hats off-Hands down. I,m a little puzzled by ITHOTN though. Could someone tell me about that? thanks tom s

urfriend I began watching this series shortly after it first appeared, and was grateful that it continued on in syndication for so long. I still watch any time I see it appear in a newspaper listing. I agree wholeheartedly with the 2 other comments I have read here on this site, and am glad to be given the opportunity to add to what is apparently consistent praise for the work done by the writers, directors, casting personnel, and the cast members themselves. Having had some limited law-enforcement experience, I can say that I have a deep appreciation for the character portrayed by Carrol O'Connor, not only for the quality of his performance as an actor, but for bringing us the very human side of law-enforcement officers everywhere, especially those in supervisory positions. It is the often conflicted needs of the duty-bound versus that very human element that was what brought us to the edge of our seats in these very well-written episodes, time and again, and yet humor was not forgotten as we shared in these peoples daily lives. I could go on for hours, but I will conclude only by saying, I miss it, sorely. I would be grateful to be notified at any time of any opportunity to purchase this series on VHF or DVD. While it is true, that I have enjoyed much of it in syndication ("re-runs") I am also aware that there are many episodes I have not seen, as I was traveling a great deal, and working odd hours during its "prime-time showings. I only just discovered this site, after having searched "Amazon" thoroughly and not found it. Again, thank you for letting me put my "two cents" in! Urfriend

hamanncrosscreek ITHOTN is my second favorite hour long TV series( right behind the Rockford files 1974-80.) The first season,while well acted and produced isn't as good as season two and three. The episodes filmed in Hammond Louisiana recapture the atmosphere of the motion picture with its run down buildings and the racist behavior of " Bill Gillespie". The stories just don't measure up, with the exception of " Road Kill" One of the entire series best episodes!.The four Joe Don Baker episodes (while Carroll O' Connor was recuperating from heart surgery) are among my favorites. "15 forever " is unsettling in its depiction of teenagers killed by a drunk driver.( Spartas district attorney! ) " The pig woman of Sparta" is funny and atmospheric. "Lady bug,lady bug"is dark and brutal."Vengeance" and "Sparta Gold" are two of Alan Autrys best. Scott Brian Higgs is hilarious as the eccentric "Randy Calhoun", a recurring character on the show.Lois Nettleton is very good as Bill Gillespies love interest and her shady past is revealed in the excellent "Aka Kelly Kay". I was so impressed with the series that we traveled through Covington Georgia on our way to Florida a few years ago. We saw a lot of the filming locations and toured the ITHOTN/ Dukes of Hazzard museum. Carroll O' Connor was totally believable as "Bill Gillespie", Howard Rollins upstaged the entire cast, bringing more depth to the "Virgil Tibbs" character than Sidney Poitier did in the '67 film. Hugh O' Connor who obviously wasn't a trained actor,actually grew into his "Jameson" role and was good enough to carry several episodes by himself! The last season was wearing pretty thin but had a very good run with some truly memorable stories. RIP Carroll,Hugh and Howard.

Brian Washington This show will always be one of my favorites. It takes a look at the so-called New South and shows the many ways it has gotten better and how in some ways it is still the same. In fact, I still prefer the television series over the movie any time. The late Howard Rollins was superb as Virgil Tibbs and the late Caroll O'Connor made the perfect Bill Gillespie. However, the real standout was Alan Autry as Seargent (and later Captain) Bubba Skinner. He is the perfect example of the tough guy with the heart of gold and he was what made the show special.