Question
Barnaby Jones publicity still

"Barnaby Jones" was spun off from which TV series?

Last updated: March 26, 2026

Buddy Ebsen went from backwoods billionaire on "The Beverly Hillbillies" to milk-drinking private investigator in two years. "Barnaby Jones" premiered in 1973 and outlasted the very show that spawned it. Which series did CBS spin "Barnaby Jones" off from?

Correct Answer: Cannon

(Source)

If a show takes place in the same universe and its premiere crosses over with another series, does that make it a spin-off? I don't know, but I can factually tell you that the premiere episode of "Barnaby Jones" was originally written as a second-season script for "Cannon." Instead, CBS reworked it into a pilot with William Conrad's food-loving PI as a guest star. There was a huge deal made about Ebsen being 64 at the time, and the Associated Press even called him a "foxy grandpa." He stayed on the air for eight seasons and 178 episodes. Maybe it was all that milk.

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