A white Southern police chief and a black detective put aside racial animosity to solve crimes in a Mississippi hamlet. This tense drama was inspired by the Oscar-winning 1967 film, which was based on John Ball's 1965 novel. Despite the occasional health-related absences of star Carroll O'Connor (Joe Don Baker and Carl Weathers each briefly filled the chief's chair), the series had a hearty run, premiering on NBC in 1988 before moving to CBS in 1992 for its last two seasons. ~ TV Guide, Rovi