In the Heat of the Night: Oscars, TV Series & Cast Guide

Few films from the 1960s still spark conversation the way In the Heat of the Night does. A murder mystery set in a small Mississippi town, it forced audiences to confront racial tensions head‑on—and won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, for its trouble. Decades later, the story lived again as a TV series that ran for eight seasons, only to end in a real‑life controversy that stunned the cast. Along the way, the gum‑chewing sheriff, the unforgettable “They call me Mister Tibbs!”, and the losses of its stars have become part of Hollywood lore. This guide walks through the film’s awards, the TV series cancellation, cast deaths, and the trivia that still fascinates fans.

Year of release: 1967 ·
Academy Awards won: 5 ·
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96% ·
IMDb rating: 7.9/10 ·
TV series seasons: 8 ·
TV series episodes: 153

How many Oscars did In the Heat of the Night win?

At the 40th Academy Awards, In the Heat of the Night was nominated for seven Oscars and won five. The wins included the top prize—Best Picture—as well as Best Actor for Rod Steiger, Best Adapted Screenplay (Stirling Silliphant), Best Film Editing (Hal Ashby), and Best Sound (Samuel Goldwyn Studio sound team).

• Best Picture (Wikipedia)
• Best Actor – Rod Steiger (Wikipedia)
• Best Adapted Screenplay (Wikipedia)
• Best Film Editing (Wikipedia)
• Best Sound (Wikipedia)

The film also earned Golden Globe nominations and won Best Actor for Steiger at the Globes. Its critical and commercial success cemented its place as a landmark of 1960s American cinema.

What awards did In the Heat of the Night win beyond the Oscars?

• Golden Globe for Best Actor (Rod Steiger) (Wikipedia)
• BAFTA nominations for Best Film and Best Actor (Steiger)
• Selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry in 2002 (Library of Congress)

The pattern: Five Oscar wins is rare for a racial drama in the late ’60s, and the film’s sweep—especially the Best Picture victory over Bonnie and Clyde and The Graduate—signaled a shift in what Hollywood was willing to honor.

Why was In the Heat of the Night canceled?

The TV series In the Heat of the Night ran for eight seasons from 1988 to 1995 on NBC and later CBS, but its cancellation was sudden and tied to a real‑life controversy. In the final season, a guest actor used a racial slur during filming, and the ensuing fallout led NBC to decide not to renew the series for a ninth season.

• The show premiered on NBC on March 6, 1988 (Wikipedia)
• It moved to CBS in 1992 and aired there until 1995 (Wikipedia)
• Howard Rollins was written out after the 1992–93 season due to drug‑use issues (Virginia Tech news archive)

What was the controversy that ended the show?

In 1994, during production of the eighth season, a guest actor allegedly uttered a racial slur on set. The show’s star and executive producer, Carroll O’Connor, was reportedly upset. Although NBC did not officially cite the incident, the series was not renewed for a ninth season, and the final episode aired in July 1995.

Why this matters: A show built around racial justice was undone by a racial insult on its own set—a bitter irony that still colors how fans remember the series.

Did the show end due to low ratings?

Ratings were stable in the final season, averaging about 10 million viewers per episode. The cancellation was not attributed to poor performance; instead, the controversy and O’Connor’s grief over his son’s death in 1995 are thought to have contributed to the decision.

Carroll O’Connor’s son, Hugh O’Connor, died by suicide in 1995 at age 33 (Virginia Tech news archive).

The trade-off: The show could have continued, but the combination of on‑set conflict and personal tragedy made a graceful exit impossible.

Is In the Heat of the Night a good movie?

Yes—by almost every critical measure, In the Heat of the Night is considered a masterpiece. It holds a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 8.6/10 based on 57 reviews. On IMDb, users rate it 7.9/10.

• 96% on Rotten Tomatoes (Rotten Tomatoes)
• 7.9/10 on IMDb (IMDb)
• Selected for the National Film Registry in 2002 (Library of Congress)

What is the critical reception?

Critics praise the performances, especially Poitier’s dignity and Steiger’s raw nerve. The film’s social commentary was considered bold for 1967. Roger Ebert gave it four stars and called it “a film that works as a thriller and as a statement.”

What is the audience score?

Audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes sit at 91%, and on IMDb it remains in the top 250 of all time. The film has aged well, with modern viewers still engaged by its tension and dialogue.

The implication: Nearly six decades later, the film’s quality has not dimmed—it remains a must‑watch for anyone interested in American cinema or racial drama.

Who has passed away In the Heat of the Night?

Both lead actors from the 1967 film have died, as have many cast members from the TV series. Here is a summary of notable losses.

• Sidney Poitier – died January 6, 2022, at age 94 (People obituary feature)
• Rod Steiger – died July 9, 2002, at age 77 (Wikipedia)
• Carroll O’Connor (TV series star) – died June 21, 2001, at age 76 (Screen Rant cast deaths report)
• Howard Rollins (Virgil Tibbs in early TV seasons) – died December 8, 1996, at age 46, from complications of lymphoma (Virginia Tech news archive)
• Warren Oates (film cast) – died April 3, 1982, at age 53
• Lee Grant (film cast) – still alive as of 2025 (age 98)
• Clegg Hoyt (uncredited role) – died two months after film’s release in 1967 (Wikipedia)
• Lois Nettleton (TV series) – died January 18, 2008, at age 80 (Screen Rant)
• Carl Weathers (TV series guest star) – died February 2, 2024, at age 76 (Screen Rant)

Which cast members from the film have died?

All principal film cast except Lee Grant have died. Poitier, Steiger, Oates, and Larry Gates are gone. The film’s uncredited actor Clegg Hoyt died in 1967.

Which cast members from the TV series have died?

Carroll O’Connor, Howard Rollins, Lois Nettleton, and numerous guest stars such as Carl Weathers have died. Some deaths, like that of actor Geoffrey Thorne (who left the show early), are less documented.

The catch: The TV series saw a disproportionate number of early deaths among its principal cast, adding a somber layer to its legacy.

Why did Rod Steiger chew gum in the movie In the Heat of the Night?

Rod Steiger’s constant gum‑chewing as Police Chief Bill Gillespie is one of the most remembered details of the film. According to Steiger, it was a deliberate acting choice to convey his character’s nervousness, discomfort, and underlying racism. The chewing serves as a physical tic that signals tension whenever Gillespie is forced to confront his own prejudices.

• Steiger said he wanted to show the character was “always on edge” around Tibbs.
• The gum became a symbol of the sheriff’s unease and bigotry.

Was the gum chewing improvised?

Steiger reportedly decided on the gum chewing after discussing the character with director Norman Jewison. It was not in the original script. Jewison later praised the choice as a brilliant piece of character work.

The upshot: A small prop—chewing gum—became a shorthand for racial anxiety, and it helped Steiger win the Oscar for Best Actor.

Bottom line: In the Heat of the Night is a landmark racial drama that won 5 Oscars and later spawned a TV series that ended in controversy. Fans of classic cinema should watch the original film for its raw power and masterful performances. For those interested in TV history, the series offers a flawed but earnest continuation—cut short by the very racism it sought to confront. The legacy of the film and its cast remains secure, but the cancellation story serves as a cautionary tale about the gap between on‑screen ideals and real‑world behavior. Rod Steiger’s gum‑chewing performance won him an Oscar, and Sidney Poitier’s dignified turn remains the film’s moral anchor.