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This page is a collection of interesting and (in many instances) downright hilarious "slip-ups" a/k/a production errors/goofs from the television series In the Heat of the Night. If you have a slip-up that you'd like to add for inclusion, please message us through Facebook or e-mail us at: intheheatofthenight.fc@gmail.com . Submissions will be credited.
Missing -- submitted by Tate Skinner
When Tommy Palmerton hits Curt Breynard and Curt goes down. You can see the back of Curt's jeans are clean. When the camera cuts back to Tommy and then back to Curt, you can see dirt on the back of Curt's jeans.
A Depraved Heart -- submitted by Kathleen "K.D." McCrite
Bubba confronts David Monroe in his office at the real estate company and shoves him into a bookcase. Shelves in the bookcase break, scattering books everywhere. But later, as Bubba is leaving Monroe's office, the case is perfectly intact and all the books are aligned neatly in place on their shelves.
Rape --submitted by Tate Skinner
When Sweet went to Harriet DeLong's studio apartment to have a conversation with Candace Sloan, he identified himself as Officer Sweet. He had been promoted to Sergeant since the previous season.
Legacy --submitted by Jimmy Edwards
When Sweet went to Harriet DeLong's studio apartment to have a conversation with Candace Sloan, he identified himself as Officer Sweet. He had been promoted to Sergeant since the previous season.
A Final Arrangement -- submitted by Kevin Green
At the station when Bubba is observed at his desk looking at a file with a magnifying glass, Officer Dee Shaw's name tag spells "Phillips."
Ruda's Awakening -- submitted by Hank Voight
In the season 5 episode, "Ruda's Awakening," an edition of the Sparta Herald incorrectly identifies Bubba as "A.J." Skinner.
Brotherly Love: Part 1 -- submitted by Bill Weichand
When Det. Dwight Walker is on the phone with Virgil, he is handed a phone message that is clearly written as being for "Det. Walters." The note makes a second appearance when Virgil is going through Dwight's personal items after his death.
When the Music Stopped -- submitted by Kevin Johnson
Bubba's desk calendar clearly shows 1988 on it yet this was a 1992 episode.
By Means Most Foul -- submitted by Tim Turner
In episode "By Means Most Foul" Season 5/Ep17, (1992) Rebecca Ballard tries to have her husband killed by her boyfriend, Moss. Moss has to kill his teenage employee to cover up. When he goes to bury him, you see a shovel by the grave, implying he dug it. However, when he buries the boy, you see backhoe bucket teeth marks on the side of the grave.
No Other Road -- submitted by Chad Moore
As Eugene is running a lap, an In the Heat of the Night crew member and boom mic are briefly visible in the background on the field. If you blink, you're sure to miss it.
A Love Lost -- submitted by Christopher Parr
When Lt. Lonnie Jamison (Hugh O'Connor) informs both Chief Forbes and Sheriff Gillespie that the handguns had been accounted for, Hugh O'Connor is wearing his wedding ring.
Pilot: Part 1 -- submitted by Christy Taylor
At the scene of Nan Woodall's discovered lifeless body in the Bottoms, Lonnie Jamison's name tag is clearly spelled "Jamieson".
The Littlest Victim -- submitted by Bradrick Houston
In the scene where the chief, Bubba, Sweet and Parker are looking at the video of the store robbery, Sweet walks to the television and points out a skull on one of the robbers jacket -- we can hear him talking while pointing at the screen, but there's a brief second where his mouth doesn't move.
A Necessary Evil -- submitted by Micah Gober
In this scene, Elmyra Carroway and Eugete Davenport are having a dispute outside the police station about who gets to visit Henley Davenport. Just before Chief Gillespie and Junior Abernathy arrive to stop the dispute you can see a Louisiana State Trooper car pass by in the background.
A Problem Too Personal -- submitted by Bradrick Houston
During an outdoor brunch party at the Tibbs residence, Virgil addresses character Ted Marcus (Thom Gossom) as Thom.
Fifteen Forever -- submitted by Susan Hattan
A brown sheriff's car was shown parked outside the Monarch Motors warehouse where Sweet and Bubba were inside investigating and eventually discovered the car a/k/a "killing machine" that was involved in the fatal, drunk-driving accident. The sheriff's department wasn't there.
Walkout -- submitted by Kris Tapp
After the accident inside the plant, the ambulance door shows a partial outline of the state of Georgia.
The Littlest Victim
A scene with Chief Gillespie, Sgt. Sweet and Althea Tibbs shows the Chief with his eyeglasses off and on repeatedly throughout this scene.
Pilot: Part 2
When Red Jack's truck starts to pass Detective Tibbs' squad car, the driver's door of the car is undamaged. Moments later, the door is badly dented, before there is any contact between the two vehicles.
Blind Spot
When Bill Gillespie calls Parker on the car radio, he does not hold the talk button down while speaking.
Blind Spot: Part 2
When Tibbs stands up after being face down in the water, only part of his suit is wet.
Blind Spot: Part 2
When Tibbs is wading towards the supposedly dead Wallace Posey in the water, you can see the vapor from Wallace's breathing.
Blind Spot: Part 2
During the shootout in the hospital where Virgil kills bad guy #1, the camera is switched to show bad guy #2 driving off in the blue Firebird. When the scene switches back to the interior of the hospital, the blue Firebird can be clearly seen in the parking lot outside the window.
Hot Nights
When Bubba shoots Frank outside the cabin, his pistol is obviously not aiming at Frank.
Country Mouse, City Mouse
When Willie Baylor opens the door and surprises Bobby and Nicole, there is the sound of him cocking a pump shotgun. However, Baylor is carrying a double-barrel shotgun, not a pump.
Country Mouse, City Mouse
As Chief Gillespie walks toward the loud music coming his office, two marked spots of tape on the floor can be seen behind him for Officer Parker Williams and Cpl. Lonnie Jamison to stand.
The Creek
When the Chief is talking to Jimmy Dawes in his jail cell, Jimmy goes back and forth between sitting on his bunk and leaning back on one elbow whenever they change camera angles.
Sister, Sister
In the opening scene, when the camera's back shot shows a naked J.D. Sinclaire stepping out of the shower, she wraps a towel around her head and you can see the edges of the shield covering her breasts on either side just under her raised arms.
Fairest of them All
In the opening scene, Lizbeth stumbles out of a car so drunk she can barely walk. After she sees Bubba and gives him a hug, she now is able to walk normally.
First Girl /Murder Most Ancient
Although Officer Luann Corbin, played by actress Crystal R. Fox, is introduced at the end of this episode as having just been brought that day from Jackson, Mississippi, to become the newest member of the Sparta Police Department. Fox is listed in the closing credits of the previous episode, "Murder Most Ancient", and was shown sitting in character at her desk in the office of the Sparta PD.
Missing/Anniversary
At the end of season 2, when Dugan is shot, he is shot while facing the two men in the masks who were shooting him, which would mean he was shot in the chest or front of his body. However, in this episode (the episode when Dugan is found), the Chief finds his body in the woods laying on his stomach, with blood stains on his back, making it look as if he had been shot in the back and bled through his shirt.
My Name is Hank
When Lonnie finds Mr. Perkins shot in the liquor store, he checks his pulse, even though Mr. Perkins is breathing and moaning out loud.
Triangle
When the father and daughter are driving to the cabin in the station wagon, in the first shot she is not wearing her seat belt (it is visible off to the side). When the camera angle changes and in subsequent shots, she is wearing it.
Indiscretions
When Althea on the phone asks her friend Regina where she is and the woman says "Marshalsberg" from a (fictional) map, the word is misspelled "Marhalsberg."
Child of Promise
The character played by Temi Epstein identifies herself as 'Lori' in this episode, but she's listed as 'Terri' in the closing credits.
Laid to Waste
The character of the plant manager is named "Preston Donner". Yet at the very end of the episode, Gillespie refers to him as "Grafton Donner".
Sparta Gold
When Jamison and Sweet are sitting in their car on stakeout, they are discussing how long the marijuana business has been going on. The Chief responds to them over the radio from the station, even though neither officer had made their remarks over the radio.
Love, Honor and Obey
When Parker goes to jail to see Jennie, he wears his pistol into her cell. No police officer would be allowed to take a firearm into a cell.
By Means Most Foul
Ronald Cousins and Brian Moss both said the Chevy Camaro belonging to Moss had a 351 engine. A 351 is a Ford engine, while a Chevy would have a 350 cubic inch engine. Only one cubic inch difference in size, but a completely different engine.
Family Reunion
When the police are following the Purdys and the Paxtons, Parker tells Bubba that the only thing on that road is "Hush You Heroes." Lonnie responds to his comment and asks Parker what that is, even though they were in different cars, and Parker had not made his comment over the radio.
Family Reunion
After hitting Carl Purdy over the head and depositing him on the sofa, Roy Paxton reaches out the door and picks up Purdy's shotgun. When viewed from the exterior camera, he only has the shotgun in his hand. When they switch to a camera inside the room, Paxton suddenly has both the shotgun and a baseball bat in his hand.
The Law on Trial
When Sheriff McComb was on the witness stand, he was allowed to make offhand remarks and offer opinions that no defense attorney would have let go unchallenged.
Random's Child
When Lana Farren is about to leave the hospital, she has a severe bruise under her right eye. When she arrives at the Tibbs house a short time later, the bruise is almost completely gone.
The Leftover Man: Part 2
Ron Dubois (Michael Genevie) refers to "Sparta County High School" but Sparta is in Newman County.
The Leftover Man: Parts 1 & 2
Luann Corbin's character is seen with corporal stripes on her police uniform in "The Leftover Man: Part 1". When she is wearing her police uniform in part 2 of the episode, there are no corporal stripes on her uniform.
By Duty Bound
Frank Cole drives a car into the water off of a dock that is not only wide enough and strong enough to hold a full-size car, but is also ramped up into the air. The next day the dock appears narrower, and is level.
By Duty Bound
A closeup of the heart rate monitor while Hector is lying in his hospital bed indicates that his heart rate is 24 beats per minute. Moments later, his rate drops to zero and he dies. In reality, hospital staff would have installed a pacemaker to prevent his heart rate from falling so low.