ations ▁and ▁one ▁Edd ie ▁Award ▁nom ination . ▁ ▁Plot ▁The ▁min is eries ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁fict ional ▁town ▁of ▁Del ano , ▁Georgia , ▁lo os ely ▁mode led ▁after ▁Manchester , ▁Georgia , ▁situated ▁at ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁P ine ▁Mountain , ▁itself ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁P ine ▁Mountain ▁Range ▁over looking ▁Manchester . ▁The ▁plot ▁follows ▁three ▁gener ations ▁of ▁Del ano ▁police ▁chief s ▁- ▁Will ▁Henry ▁Lee ▁( W ay ne ▁Rog ers ), ▁Son ny ▁But ts ▁( B rad ▁Davis ), ▁and ▁Ty ler ▁W att s ▁( B illy ▁De e ▁Williams ) ▁- ▁as ▁they ▁investigate ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁mur ders . ▁▁ ▁The ▁story ▁begins ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 ▁as ▁town ▁patri arch ▁Hugh ▁Hol mes ▁( Char l ton ▁H eston ), ▁whose ▁character ▁inter mitt ently ▁narr ates ▁the ▁story , ▁dec ides ▁that ▁the ▁town ▁has ▁grown ▁large ▁enough ▁to ▁require ▁a ▁j ail ▁and ▁a ▁full - time ▁police ▁officer . ▁ ▁The ▁town ▁appoint s ▁far mer ▁Lee ▁its ▁first ▁police ▁chief , ▁and , ▁even ▁though ▁he ▁has ▁no ▁law - en for cement ▁experience , ▁Lee ▁becomes ▁known ▁as ▁fair - mind ed ▁and ▁effective . ▁Lee ' s ▁farm ▁emp lo ys ▁a ▁black ▁family , ▁the ▁Col es , ▁who ▁regard ▁their ▁new ▁and ▁less ▁bene vol ent ▁employ er , ▁the ▁Ku ▁Kl ux ▁K lan ▁member ▁H oss ▁Sp ence , ▁with ▁tre pid ation . ▁