I am going to try to do update you from time to time on some of our favorite TV show stars and what may be up with them now. I thought about this as I was watching a "In the Heat of the Night" Marathon over the weekend.  The tv show that ran in the late 80's-early 90's developed out of a 1967 movie that starred Sidney Potier, Rod Steiger and Warren Oates.  Sidney Potier's line "they call me Mr. Tibbs!" Remains one of the top 20 quoted movie lines off all time.  Carroll O'Connor(Archie-of "All in the Family" fame)starred as Sparta Police Chief Bill Gillespie.  He was also a producer of the show with Fred Silverman. After "heat" wrapped he went on to play Helen Hunts father a few times on Mad About You. O'Connor passed away in 2001.  The police Detective Virgil Tibbs, that Potier played in the movie was played by Howard Rollins. Rollins after a few years was fired from the show due to his problems with drugs and alcohol.  He died of an aids related lymphoma in 1996. Alan Autry played Captain Bubba Skinner, was known as NFL Player Carlos Brown when he played Quarterback for the Green Bay Packers in 1976 for 3 games and was cut by Bart Starr. He has become a born again Christian, has hosted some radio talk shows in California and was the mayor of Fresno, CA in the early 2000's.  O'Connor's son Hugh played LT.  Lonnie Jamison. He battled lukemia and drugs and took his life in 1995.  Not much is known about the rest of the cast most of whom appear to have stopped acting at this time.  It had a great run and will always be one of my favorites.

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