The Mississippi is an American legal drama television series which ran for 2 seasons from 1983 to 1984 on CBS. The series consisted of 24 episodes: 1 pilot, 6 first-season episodes and 17 episodes in the second season. The series was written by Aubrey Solomon and starred Ralph Waite, Linda Miller, and Stan Shaw. Plot Ralph Waite played Ben Walker, a successful criminal attorney who, after retiring his law practice, sought a simpler life on the Mississippi River as the captain of a stern wheel river boat. Conflicting with his desire for an easy retirement from legal practice, he'd find at every port someone who needed a good attorney, and he would end up defending him or her. His “crew” consisted of Stella McMullen and Lafayette 'Lafe' Tate, both of whom were more interested in helping people, fighting crime, and becoming attorneys than in running the tug. Filming occurred in several cities along the Mississippi River including Natchez, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee. Cast Ralph Waite as Ben Walker Linda Miller as Stella McMullen Stan Shaw as Lafayette "Lafe" Tate Episodes Season 1: 1982–83 Season 2: 1983–84 US television ratings Awards The episode "Old Hatreds Die Hard" was nominated for a 1983 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. References External links The Mississippi at The Classic TV Archive 1983 American television series debuts 1984 American television series endings 1980s American drama television series 1980s American legal television series CBS original programming Television shows set in Mississippi Television shows set in Tennessee Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios Works about the Mississippi River