<P> Season two premiered on December 4 , 1988 due to a writers strike ; the season introduced a new look and set of executive producers , with on - location shooting moved from Louisiana to Covington , Georgia . The season premiere was aired as a two - hour TV - movie , `` Do n't Look Back '' ; the plot revolved around a copycat murder of one that Gillespie had investigated 20 years earlier . Also introduced were two new regular characters -- Joanne St. John ( played by Lois Nettleton ) , the chief 's sometime girlfriend and owner of the local diner , `` The Magnolia Cafe '' ; and Officer Wilson Sweet ( played by Geoffrey Thorne ) , fresh out of the Police Academy . The episode also introduced the first of several new recurring characters , including Doctor ( or , `` Doc '' ) Robb , the county coroner ( played by veteran actor Dan Biggers ) . `` The Creek '' saw the introduction of the first new police character and the second prominent Georgia performer to claim a regular role on the series , `` Officer Randy Goode '' ( 1988 -- 1993 ) played by Randall Franks , who was cast following the show 's move to Covington , Georgia . </P>
<P> Season two premiered on December 4 , 1988 due to a writers strike ; the season introduced a new look and set of executive producers , with on - location shooting moved from Louisiana to Covington , Georgia . The season premiere was aired as a two - hour TV - movie , `` Do n't Look Back '' ; the plot revolved around a copycat murder of one that Gillespie had investigated 20 years earlier . Also introduced were two new regular characters -- Joanne St. John ( played by Lois Nettleton ) , the chief 's sometime girlfriend and owner of the local diner , `` The Magnolia Cafe '' ; and Officer Wilson Sweet ( played by Geoffrey Thorne ) , fresh out of the Police Academy . The episode also introduced the first of several new recurring characters , including Doctor ( or , `` Doc '' ) Robb , the county coroner ( played by veteran actor Dan Biggers ) . `` The Creek '' saw the introduction of the first new police character and the second prominent Georgia performer to claim a regular role on the series , `` Officer Randy Goode '' ( 1988 -- 1993 ) played by Randall Franks , who was cast following the show 's move to Covington , Georgia . </P>
who played randy in the heat of the night
who played randy in the heat of the night
Randall Franks
Randall Franks