This is not the first time that Frank Cannon (William Conrad) and Barnaby Jones (Buddy Ebsen) met. In 1973, Barnaby Jones (1973-1980) became a spinoff of Cannon (1971-1976) when Barnaby gets fellow P. I. Cannon to help him find out who killed his (Barnaby's) son Hal (Hal and Cannon had been acquaintances/friends). Hal had called Cannon one night to meet up with him about a case he was working on. He wanted to come to Cannon's place (he was near Cannon's place at a pay phone). Cannon wondered why Hal never showed up and he called Hal the next morning. Barnaby answered the phone and told him Hal had been murdered. After that they met up and worked together to catch Hal's killer.
Hal had been running the detective agency since Barnaby retired and Barnaby decides to unretire and keep the business open under his management after Hal's murder. He hires his daughter-in-law, Betty (Hal's widow, played by Lee Meriwether) to be his secretary. They are later joined (starting in the 5th season) by Barnaby's young 2nd cousin. Barnaby's cousin (a cop from Chicago) is in town. He calls Barnaby to tell him that he has a lead on who killed his (Barnaby's cousin's) partner and the killer has connections there in CA. Before Barnaby can meet with the cousin, the cousin is murdered. So the cousin's son (Barnaby's 2nd cousin) Jedediah Romano (J. R.) Jones comes to L. A. J. R. was a law student who decides to stay in L. A. and work with Barnaby and Betty while going to law school there. Cannon was on for 5 seasons and Barnaby Jones was on for 8 seasons, so they both had good runs!
This is a really good 2-part episode that brings Cannon and Barnaby back together, but they are working for opposite sides. You know, however, that Frank and Barnaby will end up working together to get the bad guy(s)!
Hal had been running the detective agency since Barnaby retired and Barnaby decides to unretire and keep the business open under his management after Hal's murder. He hires his daughter-in-law, Betty (Hal's widow, played by Lee Meriwether) to be his secretary. They are later joined (starting in the 5th season) by Barnaby's young 2nd cousin. Barnaby's cousin (a cop from Chicago) is in town. He calls Barnaby to tell him that he has a lead on who killed his (Barnaby's cousin's) partner and the killer has connections there in CA. Before Barnaby can meet with the cousin, the cousin is murdered. So the cousin's son (Barnaby's 2nd cousin) Jedediah Romano (J. R.) Jones comes to L. A. J. R. was a law student who decides to stay in L. A. and work with Barnaby and Betty while going to law school there. Cannon was on for 5 seasons and Barnaby Jones was on for 8 seasons, so they both had good runs!
This is a really good 2-part episode that brings Cannon and Barnaby back together, but they are working for opposite sides. You know, however, that Frank and Barnaby will end up working together to get the bad guy(s)!