The BEST episodes of Barnaby Jones
Every episode of Barnaby Jones ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Barnaby Jones!
Barnaby Jones was a retired private investigator, but quickly came out of retirement after his son Hal, who had taken over Barnaby's job, was murdered. Hal's widow, Betty, helped Barnaby try and find her husband's murderer. The murder was solved, but Barnaby decided he wanted to return to investigating full-time and Betty decided to join him.
#1 - Bond of Fear
Season 3 - Episode 24 - Aired 4/15/1975
Shortly after a quarrel with his wife Florence Harold Armstrong is pushed over banisters and killed. Russ Madden hires Barnaby to prove Florence's innocence. Nora, Harold's mistress tries to blackmail her. Who is the mysterious person disguised as Florence?
#2 - Stages of Fear
Season 7 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/23/1978
Laura Harding, Betty's acting teacher from college, asks for help when Sybil Crawford, leading lady of a musical, is haunted by a series of threats. Betty poses as an actress to investigate. Sybil's boy friend is killed and the solution seems to lie in the girl's past.
#3 - Echo of a Distant Battle (Part 2)
Season 7 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/11/1979
When an eager D.A. threatens with a charge of negligent homicide a shattered Barnaby wants to give up the case, but Dorothy asks him to continue. Barnaby uncovers that several soldiers robbed gold in Vietnam and then deserted. Barnaby and J.R. try to figure out how Colby Warner fits into that picture or if he does at all.
#4 - A Gathering of Thieves
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/10/1974
Whit Brewer sells lots at Shadow Lake Estates, but the construction works did not start yet. Claude Meecham discovers the fraud and is killed in a car accident. When Whit tries to get rid of his associates, the two rivaling women Madge and Irene ally.
#5 - Homecoming for a Dead Man
Season 8 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/8/1979
At the Olympic gymnastic tryouts for young Kim Barnaby recognizes her father Richard Gibson, a man presumed dead after robbing the coin exchange ten years ago. While Barnaby is trying to find a ghost, accomplice Jordan orders Gibson alias Simmons to get rid of the private detective.
#6 - False Witness
Season 8 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/29/1979
Betty's friend Leslie Jessup is raped near Webster House and identifies the first comer suspect, Eddie Tucker, as the culprit. As Betty believes Tucker is innocent she investigates, searching for more victims and witnesses. But the true rapist places more clues to incriminate Eddie.
#7 - Indoctrination in Evil
Season 8 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/1/1979
While trying to seduce and drug young Jeanny for the white-slavery market Les Harmon and Al De Paris accidentally kill her. Barnaby searches for her, but Mr. Adamson, owner of a lodge, seems to conceal information. Betty, working undercover at the lodge, finds out about a blackmailing.
#8 - A Desperate Pursuit
Season 8 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/11/1979
Shortly after Betty handed over some files to boxing promoter Vince Ferrari he falls to death from his balcony. Betty suspects murder and as a key witness she does not only meet reporter Tom Powers but is threatened by a blonde woman, whom the prime suspect saw at Ferrari's apartment.
#9 - Nightmare in Hawaii (Part 2)
Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/27/1979
After escaping from prison, J.R. enlists the help of Andy's sister, Toni and tries to meet with Andy, but a trap has been set, and Andy is killed. Convinced that J.R. is innocent of her brother's murder, Toni takes J.R. to a small cabin on the property, where J.R. witnesses the harvesting of marijuana and realizes that Toni's older brother Michael is involved in the smuggling of drugs in pineapple boxes.
#10 - Deadly Sanctuary
Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/12/1978
During her vacation Betty visits her friend Phyllis. When a young woman whom she denied help is raped, Betty feels guilty and starts to investigate on her own. Once Barnaby and J.R. realize the danger Betty is putting herself in, J.R. goes out to help Betty. Together they question the previous victims and Betty then decides to pose as bait for the rapist to catch him.
#11 - Final Judgment (Part 2)
Season 6 - Episode 19 - Aired 1/26/1978
Feeling guilty, Barnaby tries to locate a witness for the defense but when the girl Hayley is murdered Barnaby is shattered. He finds out that Gates, a former police detective, covered up for the kidnappers. During a shooting Gates is seriously injured by Barnaby, but his current boss Kingman doesn't show much efforts to help him.
#12 - Final Judgment (Part 1)
Season 6 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/26/1978
Shortly before leaving for a fishing trip Barnaby gets a telephone call from a desperate Jennifer Rhodes, whose husband was convicted of kidnapping the Sayers's child eleven years ago due to Barnaby's testimony. Barnaby can rescue her from an attempted suicide. Feeling guilty, he tries to locate a witness for the defense but when the girl Hayley is murdered Barnaby is shattered.
#13 - Child of Danger
Season 6 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/29/1977
Don Hopkins, a friend from college, invites Betty for lunch and then suddenly disappears, leaving his son Charlie in her custody. Two ex-fellow prisoners, Jim and Nick, force Don to join them in robbing a coin exchange.
#14 - Shadow of Fear
Season 6 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/24/1977
While repairing the small cottage inherited from her aunt Betty is injured. She is treated by sympathetic doctor Paul Tierney. Paul is pursued by three men who seek revenge because he abandoned them in Vietnam. Betty becomes fond of him and tries to repay the help.
#15 - The Damocles Gun
Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/20/1977
When Peggy Giroux meets her brother Neal at a restaurant he mysteriously vanishes after being injured by a hit-and-run driver. Peggy hires Barnaby to locate Neal and he and J.R. find out that Neal is a professional killer who hides a gun proving his boss murdered a man years ago.
#16 - Yesterday's Terror
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/13/1977
Frances Dunslay, married to a successful husband, is confronted with her past as a call girl when Cal Green blackmails her. She steals bonds from her husband's company and even hires Rudy Markham to kill Green. Barnaby and J.R. investigate to find the missing bonds.
#17 - Dead Heat
Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/1/1976
Ray Dixon exchanges the hay fever medicine of swimmer Andy Cavanaugh, a competitor of his son Norm, for amphetamines. Andy dies of an allergic shock and Barnaby is hired to clear his name. Ray puts the blame on coach Sid and kills Gwen who gave him the drugs.
#18 - Double Vengeance
Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/7/1975
Brina Douglas kills her older husband in a buggy accident at Dryers Canyon as revenge for her father's death, whom he ruined. Barnaby investigates for the insurance company. Brina also wants to get rid of Ray Greenwald. Gil, a third associate, fakes Ray's murder.
#19 - A Ransom in Diamonds
Season 6 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/12/1978
Warren Christie, manager of a jewelry store, steals several diamonds to ransom his abducted wife but when Stan Donaldson tries to deliver the gems they are robbed. Barnaby investigates for the insurance company and offers his help for a second delivery.
#20 - Web of Deceit
Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/10/1974
While Larry Colter distracts Hillary, the maid of the Tatums, Adam Montgomery photographs secret memos that will expose Tatum's boss J.E. Brock. When Tatum surprises him, they kill him arranging a suicide. Barnaby is hired by the widow and Hillary is imperiled.
#21 - Dark Homecoming
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/19/1974
After becoming a famous country singer Ruby Deems returns to her home town attracting her ex-husband Cliff again. When she slays a jealous Cathy in self-defense her manager Shine makes her believe Cathy is dead. Later Shine kills the presumed dead.
#22 - Trap Play
Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/7/1975
Football player Mark Rainey borrows the key of the apartment of his colleague Feather to have a rendezvous with Marsha. When she feels harrassed, Mark kills her accidentally. Marsha's husband hires Barnaby. Feather advises Mark to give himself up to the police.
#23 - Prisoner of Deceit
Season 6 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/15/1977
Barnaby is hired solve the death of Jack Crandall who had an affair with Tracy Wilder. Barnaby finds out that Jack suspected Tracy's considerably older husband Godfrey to be involved in the death of Tracy's wealthy father during a fire twelve years ago. Tracy has a habit of convincing men to feel sorry for her and then they end up dead, she tries to make J.R. her latest victim.
#24 - Deadly Homecoming
Season 6 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/22/1977
Barnaby and J.R. go to San Leone to help out an old friend of Barnaby's, Carmine Sandell. Carmine asks Barnaby to find out why his son Joe was killed. When Joe's brother Nick is killed a few days later, Tomás Aguilar becomes the prime suspect. His sister Linda, who has just returned to town, was once drugged and raped by the young Sandells and has spent the last 3 years in a sanitarium because of it.
#25 - The Scapegoat
Season 6 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/5/1978
When discovered while robbing a coin collection Dewey Lassiter, a cocaine addict, kills June. Prime suspect is J.R.'s law school class mate Walt, June's boy friend. To protect his guilty son, famous attorney Gordon Lassiter offers to defend Walt, but frames him instead, leaving it up to J.R. to help Walt prove his innocence.