I know, I know, it doesn't really hold a candle to the movie does it? They are sort of two entirely different beasts and this film... well, it has a lot more of a Hill Street Blues with minimal racial commentary in it than something you would expect from "In the heat of the Night." But Carroll O'Connor sort of kicked butt in this. And you can see the change. If they held on to the racial tension that made the movie so good.... that would have gotten old and as preachy as MASH. So they had to eventually form a bond, and when they did it just became a cop show, but a very good cop show. ...