The WORST episodes of Barnaby Jones

Every episode of Barnaby Jones ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst 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.

Last Updated: 9/20/2026Network: CBSStatus: Ended
The Scapegoat
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#1 - 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.

Directors: Walter Grauman
Writer: William Keys
Yesterday's Terror
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#2 - 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.

The Damocles Gun
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#3 - 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.

Directors: Leo Penn
Gang War
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#4 - Gang War

Season 6 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/27/1977

J.R. is abducted by members of the juvenile gang ""The Scorpions"" and forced to solve the murder of their co-leader Marco within 2 days to prevent a gang war with the rivaling ""Hawks"". He finds out that ""Hawks"" leader Max has a secret romance with Marco's sister Tina.

Daughter of Evil
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#5 - Daughter of Evil

Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/3/1977

While call girl Felice dines with André LeClair her boss,Harry burglarizes LeClair's home and shoots and kills a security guard. Barnaby and J.R.investigate for the insurance company and it turns out Harry and his partner Lorette Gray, run an answering service that is a front for a call girl service. While the girls are out with the clients, Harry rips them off.

Directors: Walter Grauman
Writer: Dick Nelson
The Captives
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#6 - The Captives

Season 6 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/10/1977

Attempting to locate Gloria, a runaway wife, Barnaby goes to the small town of Las Mesas, which is deserted due to the fair at Colverton. Earl, Ritchie and Tom plan to rob an armored car transport. They hold Gloria, the remaining townspeople and Barnaby as captives. It is up to J.R. to rescue Barnaby and the others when he can't convince the local authorites that something is wrong in Las Mesas.

Directors: Walter Grauman
The Reincarnation
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#7 - The Reincarnation

Season 6 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/17/1977

Barnaby and J.R go to Lake Crystabol to investigate the death of Dr. Welker for the insurance company. Dr. Welker was killed by a dropping flower pot while outside at Diane Magnus' party. Diane thinks that David, the boy friend of her niece Gwen, is the reincarnation of her husband Thomas, murdered 20 years ago.

Directors: Walter Grauman
Shadow of Fear
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#8 - 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.

The Devil's Handmaiden
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#9 - The Devil's Handmaiden

Season 6 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/1/1977

Barnaby investigates the fatal accident of an insurant with double indemnity clause and meets twelve-year-old Julie Tyler, who predicted the death. When Julie tells Barnaby that missing Ferris is also dead, her mother suspects she is in league with the devil.

Writer: Mann Rubin
Prisoner of Deceit
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#10 - 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.

Directors: Leo Penn
Writer: Marc Brandel
Deadly Homecoming
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#11 - 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.

Directors: Joe Manduke
Child of Danger
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#12 - 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.

Directors: Michael Caffey
Writer: Mann Rubin
The Wife Beater
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#13 - The Wife Beater

Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/29/1977

Pat Halston seeks the help of her friend Betty as she is repeatedly beaten by her drunken husband Glenn, who is reluctant to consult a psychologist. When Pat's boss David Conrad is slain suspicion falls on the jealous Glenn, who protests his innocence.

Directors: Walter Grauman
A Ransom in Diamonds
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#14 - 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.

Directors: Walter Grauman
Prime Target
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#15 - Prime Target

Season 6 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/19/1978

Working under cover J.R. tries to befriend Maggie Revell, a young woman just released from prison. Barnaby and J.R. hope she will lead them to her boy friend Jack and to $400 000 from a robbery. But Jack's betrayed accomplice is also looking for the money.

Directors: Michael Preece
Writer: Robert Janes
Final Judgment (Part 1)
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#16 - 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.

Directors: Walter Grauman
Final Judgment (Part 2)
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#17 - 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.

Directors: Walter Grauman
Uninvited Peril
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#18 - Uninvited Peril

Season 6 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/2/1978

A desperate mother, Verna Davis, requests Betty's help to find her missing son, Duane. Betty does not know that he is an escaped criminally insane killer. She locates Duane, who is seriously injured by a bullet. Verna abducts a doctor and forces him to help.

Directors: Robert Sherman
Terror on a Quiet Afternoon
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#19 - Terror on a Quiet Afternoon

Season 6 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/9/1978

Amy Vickers is harassed by rejected admirer Mitchell Grady II. She comes to Barnaby looking for help and since Barnaby is busy with another case, J.R. takes the case. Amy needs to take some medical records to her father who is in an out of town hospital so J.R. drives her there. The two of them are followed by Mitch and two of his lackies and they are forced to seek refuge in a cabin. While at the cabin they are terrorized by Mitch and his friends.

Directors: Walter Grauman
The Coronado Triangle
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#20 - The Coronado Triangle

Season 6 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/2/1978

Barnaby and Betty go to San Diego to help Glen Wilcox who suspects that several yachts that disappeared in the ""Coronado Triangle"" were hijacked. Dawn, the only survivor of a recent disaster, claims to have seen a giant whirlpool. She covers for Lloyd, one of the highjackers. J.R. goes undercover as a rich playboy to try and be the next victim of the hijackers.

Blind Jeopardy
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#21 - Blind Jeopardy

Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/21/1978

Mrs. Russell hires Barnaby to locate Jenny Hastings, who witnessed a murder that Mrs.Russell's husband is about to go on trial for. Barnaby thinks he has located Jenny in a motel a few miles outside of Colverton and while Barnaby is on the phone having Betty check out the license number, Jenny is abducted by men who are working for Curt Phillips. Phillips wants to make sure that Jenny is not around to testify at the trial. While following them into a forest area Barnaby is wounded by a bullet and left blinded. Escaped Jenny discovers him and both try to flee on foot, pursued by the men. Back at the office J.R. has become concerned since he can't reach Barnaby and he sets out to look for him. J.R. arrives in just the nick of time to rescue Barnaby.

Directors: Walter Grauman
Writer: William Keys
A Dangerous Affair
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#22 - A Dangerous Affair

Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/28/1978

While investigating for the insurance company whether Frank Auburn's death was an accident, J.R. falls in love with beautiful Scotty, who works for Vic Chambers as a model. She takes care of lonely customers and a hidden camera films it so Vic can blackmail the men.

Directors: Dick Lowry
Writer: Dick Nelson
Deadly Sanctuary
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#23 - 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.

Directors: Leo Penn
Writer: Mann Rubin
The Marathon Murders
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#24 - The Marathon Murders

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/17/1977

During a Marathon Group Therapy weekend Ken Scanlan talks about his unfaithful wife Ruth. Lorraine, with whom he had a brief affair, slays Ruth to help Ken. As Ruth's life insurance policy had a double-indemnity clause, Barnaby and J.R. investigate hoping to stop any further murders.

Directors: Walter Grauman
Band of Evil
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#25 - Band of Evil

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/18/1976

During a fishing vacation Barnaby and J.R. are hired by rancher Tim Carter to investigate a conversation overheard by Carter's daughter,Cassie, on her CB radio. Cassie believes that a hired hand, was the victim of foul play on his way out of town. J.R. uses his knowledge of the lingo used on CB radios to help Barnaby figure out that the disappearance is tied to a drug smuggling operation.

Directors: Walter Grauman