Barnaby Jones (1973)

Crime · Drama · Mystery

Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. The show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement. William Conrad guest starred as Frank Cannon of Cannon on the first episode of Barnaby Jones, "Requiem for a Son" and the two series had a two-part crossover episode in 1975, "The Deadly Conspiracy".

IMDb rating: 7.0 (3,631 votes)
Episode average: 7.7 ↑ +0.7 vs IMDb
Seasons: 8
Streaming (US): Amazon Prime Video
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

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Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 8 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1973)

7.79 avg 13 episodes 7.8 → 7.8 60 min avg

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Requiem for a Son	7.8	241
2	To Catch a Dead Man	7.8	228
3	Sunday: Doomsday	7.6	193
4	The Murdering Class	7.8	181
5	Perchance to Kill	7.6	162
6	The Loose Connection	7.7	154
7	Murder in the Doll's House	7.6	170
8	Sing a Song of Murder	8.0	169
9	See Some Evil... Do Some Evil	7.8	162
10	Murder-Go-Round	8.2	177
11	To Denise, with Love and Murder	8.0	174
12	A Little Glory, a Little Death	7.6	141
13	Twenty Million Alibis	7.8	150

Season 2 (1973)

7.85 avg 24 episodes 7.3 → 7.6 60 min avg

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Blind Terror	7.3	146
2	Death Leap	7.6	128
3	Echo of a Murder	8.2	152
4	Day of the Viper	7.4	135
5	Trial Run for Death	7.6	131
6	Catch Me If You Can	7.9	129
7	Divorce - Murderer's Style	8.0	130
8	The Deadly Prize	7.7	117
9	Stand-In for Death	7.9	119
10	The Black Art of Dying	7.4	128
11	The Killing Defense	7.9	121
12	Fatal Flight	8.2	111
13	Secret of the Dunes	8.1	111
14	Venus as in Flytrap	8.3	131
15	The Deadly Jinx	7.7	128
16	The Platinum Connection	7.8	114
17	Programmed for Killing	7.7	112
18	A Gold Record for Murder	7.4	135
19	Friends Till Death	8.4	121
20	Rendezvous with Terror	7.3	109
21	Dark Legacy	8.4	140
22	Woman in the Shadows	8.1	124
23	Image in a Cracked Mirror	8.4	135
24	Foul Play	7.6	110

Season 3 (1974)

7.95 avg 24 episodes 8.3 → 8.1 60 min avg

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	A Gathering of Thieves	8.3	115
2	Dead Man's Run	8.3	113
3	The Challenge	8.1	116
4	Conspiracy of Terror	8.0	100
5	Odd Man Loses	8.1	118
6	Forfeit by Death	8.1	112
7	Blueprint for a Caper	7.9	100
8	Mystery Cycle	8.3	103
9	Dark Homecoming	7.6	96
10	Time to Kill	8.0	99
11	Death on Deposit	8.3	126
12	Web of Deceit	6.9	95
13	The Last Contract	8.2	118
14	Trap Play	7.9	117
15	Murder Once Removed	8.2	117
16	Counterfall	8.3	114
17	Dangerous Summer	8.3	94
18	Image of Evil	7.5	102
19	Fantasy of Fear	8.0	100
20	Doomed Alibi	7.7	106
21	The Deadlier Species	7.6	91
22	Poisoned Pigeon	7.4	97
23	Jeopardy for Two	7.8	106
24	Bond of Fear	8.1	101

Season 4 (1975)

7.91 avg 24 episodes 7.9 → 7.8 60 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 4 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Deadly Conspiracy: Part 2	7.9	73
2	Theater of Fear	7.2	111
3	The Orchid Killer	7.8	106
4	The Price of Terror	8.4	118
5	Honeymoon with Death	7.8	106
6	The Alpha-Bravo War	7.3	93
7	Flight to Danger	8.3	100
8	Double Vengeance	8.3	96
9	Fatal Witness	8.2	122
10	Beware the Dog	8.4	106
11	Blood Relations	8.4	95
12	A Taste for Murder	8.4	98
13	Final Burial	8.1	102
14	Portrait of Evil	7.4	88
15	Dead Heat	7.9	101
16	The Lonely Victims	7.8	85
17	Hostage	8.4	98
18	Silent Vendetta	7.8	94
19	Shadow of Guilt	7.0	87
20	Deadly Reunion	8.0	100
21	Dangerous Gambit	8.3	100
22	Wipeout	7.2	104
23	The Eyes of Terror	7.8	95
24	The Stalking Horse	7.8	92

Season 5 (1976)

7.81 avg 24 episodes 7.8 → 7.4 60 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 5 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Blood Vengeance	7.8	116
2	Deadline for Dying	7.9	91
3	Sins of Thy Father	8.1	105
4	The Fatal Dive	7.8	95
5	Final Ransom	8.2	104
6	Band of Evil	8.3	102
7	Voice in the Night	7.9	98
8	The Bounty Hunter	7.7	89
9	Renegade's Child	7.6	99
10	Fraternity of Thieves	7.9	83
11	Sister of Death	8.0	96
12	The Deadly Charade	7.5	90
13	Testament of Power	8.0	95
14	Copy-Cat Killing	8.3	101
15	A Simple Case of Terror	7.5	87
16	The Marathon Murders	8.2	97
17	Duet for Dying	7.2	105
18	Circle of Treachery	7.6	87
19	Anatomy of Fear	7.9	95
20	The Killer on Campus	8.2	95
21	The Deadly Valentine	7.8	95
22	Duet for Danger	6.8	100
23	The Inside Man	7.9	90
24	Run Away to Terror	7.4	82

Season 6 (1977)

7.51 avg 22 episodes 7.9 → 7.0 60 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 6 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Death Beat	7.9	102
2	The Mercenaries	6.9	92
3	The Wife Beater	7.6	94
4	Yesterday's Terror	7.9	90
5	The Damocles Gun	8.1	96
6	Gang War	6.1	96
7	Daughter of Evil	8.0	105
8	The Captives	7.5	91
9	The Reincarnation	7.0	96
10	Shadow of Fear	7.8	104
11	The Devil's Handmaiden	8.4	92
12	Prisoner of Deceit	7.0	82
13	Deadly Homecoming	7.2	82
14	Child of Danger	7.7	95
15	The Scapegoat	7.3	89
16	A Ransom in Diamonds	7.3	96
17	Prime Target	7.8	86
18	Final Judgment: Part 1	8.2	95
19	Final Judgment: Part 2	8.2	92
20	Uninvited Peril	6.9	98
21	Terror on a Quiet Afternoon	7.5	90
22	The Coronado Triangle	7.0	90

Season 7 (1978)

7.60 avg 25 episodes 8.1 → 7.9 60 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 7 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Blind Jeopardy	8.1	97
2	A Dangerous Affair	7.8	102
3	Deadly Sanctuary	7.7	98
4	Hitch-Hike to Terror	7.2	89
5	Nest of Scorpions	7.4	86
6	Death of a Friendship	8.3	88
7	A Frame for Murder	7.6	88
8	Stages of Fear	7.1	94
9	Victim of Love	7.2	78
10	Memory of a Nightmare	7.8	84
11	The Picture Pirates	7.6	90
12	Academy of Evil	7.7	96
13	The Medium	7.3	87
14	Echo of a Distant Battle: Part 1	7.9	75
15	Echo of a Distant Battle: Part 2	8.0	68
16	The Enslaved	7.6	89
17	Dance with Death	7.6	85
18	The Protectors	7.7	89
19	Fatal Overture	6.7	82
20	Master of Deception	8.1	92
21	A Short Happy Life	6.2	93
22	Child of Love Child of Vengeance: Part 1	7.8	76
23	Child of Love Child of Vengeance: Part 2	7.8	68
24	Target for a Wedding	8.0	86
25	Temptation	7.9	76

Season 8 (1979)

7.35 avg 22 episodes 8.1 → 5.1 60 min avg

Season 8 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Man on Fire	8.1	88
2	Nightmare in Hawaii: Part 1	8.2	90
3	Nightmare in Hawaii: Part 2	8.0	83
4	A Desperate Pursuit	7.2	81
5	Design for Madness	8.1	84
6	Girl on the Road	7.2	82
7	Indoctrination in Evil	7.8	81
8	Homecoming for a Dead Man	8.0	84
9	False Witness	7.9	78
10	School of Terror	6.9	100
11	Cry for Vengeance	7.2	72
12	Run to Death	7.5	90
13	The Price of Anger	6.9	84
14	The Killing Point	7.4	77
15	Focus on Fear	7.1	81
16	Murder in the Key of C	7.4	94
17	Killer Without a Name	7.4	76
18	Death Is the Punchline	6.4	86
19	The Final Victim	7.3	85
20	The Silent Accuser	7.1	93
21	Deadline for Murder	7.5	73
22	The Killin' Cousin	5.1	114