Blessings 

During the Christmas season, a flirtatious newspaper reporter prints an unflattering story about the Sparta Police Department.

Director:

David Soul

Writers:

James Lee Barrett (developed for television by), Walton Dornisch

Stars:

Carroll O'Connor, Howard E. Rollins Jr., Alan Autry

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Carroll O'Connor	...	Chief William O. 'Bill' Gillespie
Howard E. Rollins Jr.	...	Chief of Detectives Virgil Tibbs (as Howard Rollins)
Alan Autry	...	Lt. V.L. 'Bubba' Skinner
Anne-Marie Johnson	...	Althea Tibbs
David Hart	...	Officer Parker Williams
Geoffrey Thorne	...	Cpl. Wilson Sweet
Hugh O'Connor	...	Sgt. Lonnie Jamison
Judith Robinson	...	Reporter Millie Turnby
Denise Nicholas	...	Harriet DeLong
Crystal Fox	...	Officer LuAnn Corbin
Tonea Stewart	...	Aunt Etta Kibbey
Johnny Popwell	...	Mel Levin
Deborah Atkinson	...	Michelle Carpenter (archive footage)
Paul Benjamin	...	George Brownlow (archive footage)
Peter Gabb	...	Horace Goode (archive footage)

Storyline

In this Christmas episode, members of the Sparta Police Department are interviewed for an article in the Sparta Herald. Reporter Millie Turnby has a preconceived notion regarding the article and spins the information to suit her agenda. Flashbacks show the SPD's growing pains after Virgil Tibbs joins the force, especially in his relationships with Chief Bill Gillespie and Sergeant Bubba Skinner. As the officers read the article at a Christmas party, Gillespie puts it and the newspaper into proper perspective.

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Plot Keywords:

christmas episode | christmas | clip show | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Previous episodes referred to in this episode were: "Pilot Pt.1 and Pt.2." (eps.1.1 and 1.2), "Don't Look Back, Pt.1" (ep.2.1), "Gunshots" (ep.2.7), "A Trip Upstate" (ep.2.11), "Rape" (ep.3.1), "First Girl" (ep.3.4) and "Brotherly Love Pt.1" (ep.4.1).

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Soundtracks

Adeste Fidelis (O Come All Ye Faithful)
(uncredited)
Written by Frederick Oakeley and John Francis Wade
Sung by cast closing scene and portion played as part of the score

User Reviews

Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 1990 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Covington, Georgia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fred Silverman Company, Juanita Bartlett Production, MGM Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

47 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1