Northwest Georgia actor/entertainer Randall Franks, “Officer Randy Goode” from TV’s “In the Heat of the Night,” returns to television Sunday, Oct. 16 at 7 and 9 p.m. with a special appearance in the GMC movie “Decision.”

“This is a wonderful story, and when I read the script, I knew I wanted to be part of it,” Franks said. “It was a privilege to help bring the visions of director Thomas Makowski and screenwriter Kevan Otto to life in this struggle to find oneself in small-town America.”

While working since April to raise funds to rebuild homes for uninsured and underinsured tornado victims in his hometown of Ringgold, Franks returned to acting full force and is seeing a resurgence in interest in his acting work accepting roles in five films this year so far.

In the first of his new movies to be released, he stars alongside fellow entertainers Natalie Grant and Billy Dean.

“This was my first opportunity to meet Natalie,” he said. “She was so gracious and it was wonderful to work with her. This is my second film with Billy and I am honored to be in a project with him again.”

Franks plays “Principal Nate Foster” in this coming of age story of teen “Jackson Connors,” played by newcomer Mike Rosenbaum, who is overcoming the loss of his father (Dean).

“I hope everyone will tune in to join us on this journey of finding one’s path in life in the face of uncertainty,” Franks said.

Check local cable listings for GMC or find it on Dish Network channel 188, DIRECTV channel 338, and Verizon FiOS channel 224. The project is set for DVD release in early 2012.

For more information or to donate to assist in rebuilding, visit http://randallfranks.com/.