In the Heat of the Night

Maybe some of you have noticed how crappy PBS stations are becoming these days. It seems like every time I tune in, expecting another informative Nova or muckraking Frontline, I see repeats of the Antiques Roadshow or some gawdawful reunion concert of old pop stars. And what are they up to now, like, *TEN* tenors? Come on. But here in Philly, Saturday nights on PBS are usually movie nights--full length, uninterrupted movies. Sure, there is a fairly heavy rotation of Woody Allen films, which can get tiresome, but there are lots of other films, too. One of those last week was In the Heat of the Night, the 1967 race/crime drama with Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. Sometimes 'classic' movies leave me fairly cold; many are mildly enjoyable or intellectually interesting, but otherwise, eh. But, man, In the Heat of the Night kicks ass. I couldn't help myself from saying several times while I was watching, 'wow; this is a great movie.' So thank you, WHYY, for showing this movie rather than some wheezing Riverdance redux or Yanni special. My check is in the mail.