Barnaby Jones

Barnaby Jonesis an Americandetectivetelevision series starringBuddy Ebsenas a formerly retired investigator andLee Meriwetheras his widowed daughter-in-law. They run aprivate detectivefirm inLos Angeles,California.The show was originally introduced as amidseason replacementon theCBSnetwork and ran from 1973 to 1980. Halfway through the series' run,Mark Sherawas added to the cast as a much younger cousin of Ebsen's character, who eventually joined the firm.

Barnaby Jones
Genre	Detective fiction
Developed by	Edward Hume
Starring	Buddy Ebsen Lee Meriwether Mark Shera(1976–80)
Theme music composer	Jerry Goldsmith
Composers	Jerry Goldsmith Jeff Alexander Duane Tatro John Elizalde Ralph Kessler Richard Markowitz Nelson Riddle Mauro Bruno Robert Drasnin John Carl Parker Don Bagley Hugo Friedhofer Willard Jones Lance Rubin Bruce Broughton Frank Denson
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No.of seasons	8
No.of episodes	178(list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Quinn Martin(1973–78) Philip Saltzman(1978–80)
Running time	60 minutes
Production companies	Woodruff Productions (1978-1980) (seasons 7-8) QM Productions
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	January 28, 1973(1973-01-28)– April 3, 1980(1980-04-03)
Related
Cannon

Barnaby Joneswas produced byQM Productions(withWoodruff Productionsin the final two seasons). It had the second-longest QM series run (seven and a half seasons), following the nine years ofThe F.B.I..The series followed the characteristic Quinn Martin episode format with commercial breaks dividing each episode into four "acts," concluding with an epilogue. The opening credits were narrated byHank Simms. Jerry Goldsmithcomposed the series' distinctive theme music.

The first episode of the show, "Requiem for a Son", featured a crossover with another QM program,Cannon,withWilliam Conradguest-starring as detective Frank Cannon. There was another crossover between the two programs in the 1975 two-part episode "The Deadly Conspiracy".

Plot

Ebsen and Meriwether

After Barnaby Jones (Buddy Ebsen) had worked as aprivate eyefor many years, he decided to retire and left the business to his son Hal. When Hal was murdered while working on a case, Barnaby came out of retirement to find the killer. After this case, his widowed daughter-in-law, Betty Jones (Lee Meriwether), went to work for him at the detective agency. Jones was unusual, ordering milk in restaurants and bars, counter to the stereotypical hard-drinking detective.

In 1976, the character of Jedediah Romano "J.R." Jones (Mark Shera), the son of Barnaby's cousin, joined the show. He had come fromChicagoto try to solve the murder of his father, who was a retired police officer. After that case was closed, he stayed in Los Angeles to help Barnaby and Betty, while also attendinglaw school.Initially a somewhat angry young man, J.R. soon became an easygoing, fun-loving character.

Besides the Joneses, the only other recurring character on the show was their police contact, Lt. John Biddle (John Carter). He was introduced in the latter half of the second season and appeared in most episodes thereafter, though often only briefly.

As Ebsen aged and expressed an interest in slowing down a bit, Meriwether's and Shera's characters became more prominent, allowing Ebsen to reduce his role. During the last two seasons, episodes were divided evenly between the two actors, Meriwether and Shera each being the focus of half of the season's episodes with Ebsen's involvement limited to slightly more than episodic cameos. Ratings went up in the sixth and seventh seasons, after Shera's character was added, but they plummeted during Season 8.

The show was canceled in 1980 due to declining ratings; Ebsen had also tired of playing the role.After the series' cancellation,rerunsaired insyndication.

Cast

Main cast

• Buddy Ebsenas Barnaby Jones
• Lee Meriwetheras Betty Jones
• Mark Sheraas J. R. Jones (seasons 5–8)
• John Carteras Lt. John Biddle (recurring role)

Guest stars

Among the guest stars who appeared over the years wereConlan CarterandGary Lockwood,who appeared together in the third episode of the series entitled "Sunday: Doomsday" on February 25, 1973. Other guests in the first season alone included:

• Claude Akins
• Richard Anderson
• Meredith Baxter
• Carl Betz
• Bill Bixby
• Geraldine Brooks
• Richard Bull
• Darlene Carr
• Jack Cassidy
• Dabney Coleman
• Jackie Coogan
• Glenn Corbett
• Cathy Lee Crosby
• Meg Foster
• Robert Foxworth
• Anne Francis
• Lynda Day George
• Richard Hatch
• James Hong
• Claudia Jennings
• Lenore Kasdorf
• Margot Kidder
• Geoffrey Lewis
• Ida Lupino
• George Maharis
• Nora Marlowe
• Kenneth Mars
• Roddy McDowall
• Claudette Nevins
• Leslie Nielsen
• Nick Nolte
• Don Porter
• Stefanie Powers
• Robert Reed
• Janice Rule
• Wayne Rogers
• William Shatner
• Joan Tompkins
• Lurene Tuttle
• Jessica Walter
• Michael Zaslow

In later seasons, guest stars includedWayne Maunder,formerly on CBS'sLancerwestern series, andRon Hayes,who played Sheriff Oscar Hamlin in the episode "Target for a Wedding."Marshall Colt,later cast withJames ArnessonMcClain's Law,guest-starred in two episodes in 1979.Donald Mayplayed the role of Curt Phillips in the 1978 episode "Blind Jeopardy". Character actressLurene Tuttleplayed Emily Carter, Betty's aunt, in the 1980 episode "The Killin' Cousin".

Many familiar actors made guest appearances, and others who were newcomers went on to become well-known, including:

• Jonathan Banks
• Susan Dey
• John de Lancie
• Gail Edwards
• Shelley Fabares
• Morgan Fairchild
• Ed Flanders
• Jonathan Frakes
• Mark Goddard
• Larry Hagman
• Ed Harris
• Dee Wallace
• Linda Harrison
• David Hedison
• Don Johnson
• Tommy Lee Jones
• Don Keefer
• Monte Markham
• Vera Miles
• Patrick O'Neal
• Sean Penn
• John Ritter
• Madeleine Stowe
• Susan Sullivan
• Daniel J. Travanti
• Joan Van Ark
• Carl Weathers
• Robert Webber
• Eve McVeagh
• James Woods
• Simon Scott

Buddy Ebsen's real-life daughter, Bonnie Ebsen, made guest appearances in six episodes, while Lee Meriwether's real-life daughter, Kyle Aletter-Oldham, madecameo appearancesin two episodes.FutureTrapper John, M.D.starsPernell Roberts,Gregory Harrison,andCharles Siebertall made guest appearances on one episode. FutureWKRP in CincinnatistarsLoni AndersonandGary Sandymade guest appearances, as well.

Episodes

Main article:List of Barnaby Jones episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
1	13		January 28, 1973(1973-01-28)	May 6, 1973(1973-05-06)
2	24		September 16, 1973(1973-09-16)	March 31, 1974(1974-03-31)
3	24		September 10, 1974(1974-09-10)	April 15, 1975(1975-04-15)
4	24		September 19, 1975(1975-09-19)	March 18, 1976(1976-03-18)
5	24		October 7, 1976(1976-10-07)	May 19, 1977(1977-05-19)
6	22		September 15, 1977(1977-09-15)	March 2, 1978(1978-03-02)
7	25		September 21, 1978(1978-09-21)	April 19, 1979(1979-04-19)
8	22		September 20, 1979(1979-09-20)	April 3, 1980(1980-04-03)

Reception

Season	Time slot	Rank	Rating
1 (1972–73)	Sunday at 9:30 – 10:30 pm (EST)	25	19.9(Tied withThe Little Peopleand The ABC Wednesday Movie of the Week)
2 (1973–74)		17	21.4(Tied withGood Times)
3 (1974–75)	Tuesday at 10:00 – 11:00 pm (EST)	33	19.6
4 (1975–76)	Friday at 10:00 – 11:00 pm (EST) (September 19 – November 28, 1975) Thursday at 10:00 – 11:00 pm (EST) (December 4, 1975 – March 18, 1976)	59
5 (1976–77)	Thursday at 10:00 – 11:00 pm (EST)	49	18.5
6 (1977–78)		22	20.6
7 (1978–79)		24	20.5
8 (1979–80)	Thursday at 10:00 – 11:00 pm (EST) (September 20 – November 29, 1979) Thursday at 9:00 – 10:00 pm (EST) (December 20, 1979 – April 3, 1980)	Not in the Top 30

Home media

On February 16, 2010,CBS DVD(distributed byParamount) released season one ofBarnaby Joneson DVD in Region 1 for the first time.The episode "The Murdering Class" has had the word "nigger"bleeped out when one of the characters speaks, although one can still hear the" n "sound of the word; because of this audio edit, the release was not called" The Complete First Season ". The episodes on the DVD include their broadcast trailers. This edit also exists on the VEI release.

As of September 2014, this release has been discontinued and is out of print.

On May 4, 2015,Visual Entertainmentannounced it had acquired the rights to the series in Region 1.It was subsequently announced that VEI would releaseBarnaby Jones—The Complete Collectionon DVD on December 15, 2015.The 45-disc set features all 179 episodes (sourced from both network and syndication analog videotape masters for Seasons 2-8 made in the 1970’s and early-1980’s; Season 1 is the 2010 digital remaster with the bleeped out word) of the series as well as a bonus prequel episode.

DVD Name	Ep#	Release Date
Season One	13	February 16, 2010
The Complete Collection	179	December 11, 2015

In other media

Film

During the mid-1990s, Meriwether and Shera expressed interest in aBarnaby Jonesreunion television movie, but could not talk Ebsen into joining the project. However, in 1993, Ebsen reprised the role of Barnaby Jones in the filmThe Beverly Hillbillies,adapted from Ebsen'stelevision series of the same name(Jim Varneyplayed Jed Clampett, the role that Ebsen had played on the television series, in the film). It was Ebsen's final theatrical appearance.

Reruns

From 1978 to 1983,Barnaby Jonesbegan broadcasting in off-net syndication. Beginning September 3, 2019,MeTVbegan broadcastingBarnaby Jonesreruns.

External links

• Barnaby JonesatIMDb