
Carroll O'Connor stars as a small-town police chief (and later a sheriff) in fictional Sparta, Miss. For a small town, Sparta has its share of murder, rape, corruption, racism and drunken driving, so O'Connor's Chief William Gillespie has his hands full. The TV series is based on the novel and film of the same name.

Chief Gillespie refuses to point out the obvious suspect in the murder of Councilwoman DeLong's sister.

Councilwoman DeLong ventures outside Sparta to find the powerful figure responsible for her sister's murder.

While in Philadelphia to investigate a former partner's death, Virgil (Howard Rollins) is arrested for the murder of a city cop.

Gillespie travels to Philadelphia to help Tibbs, who has been arrested for a murder he did not commit.