The television series also took place in a fictionalized version of Sparta , Mississippi . While there is a real Sparta , the version of Sparta shown on television is very different from the real town . For example , the TV Sparta is situated along Interstate 20 , while the real town is nowhere near any interstate . During the first season , Hammond , Louisiana was the site of the show 's production . In the second season , the show was moved to Georgia , to an area east of Atlanta and it remained there for the rest of its run . The principal area of Sparta was in fact downtown Covington , Georgia . Rural scenes were filmed in a wide surrounding area , in the Georgia counties of Newton ( where Covington is located ) , Rockdale , Walton , Morgan , and Jasper . Decatur in Dekalb County was used as a stand - in for an episode as the Mississippi Capital city of Jackson , and Atlanta itself was used in one episode , in which Bubba worked on a case there . In fact , during the series ' run , many of the cast members had homes in the area and were often spotted in local restaurants and retail stores . The cast members would also go around to local schools to speak to students .

Question: where was the tv show in the heat of the night filmed
Answer: Covington , Georgia