Buddy Ebsen was an actor of many talents. Ebsen made a name for himself in theatre before making audiences laugh in television shows like The Beverly Hillbillies. After his time as Jed Clampett, Ebsen pivoted hard into drama, starring as the reliable and keen-eyed private investigator, Barnaby Jones.

During an interview with The Lowell Sun, Ebsen praised Barnaby Jones as a series but was reluctant to hold the spotlight on himself. Instead, the actor commended the writers, as well as the show's executive producer, Quinn Martin.

"As to our stories, they are simply - and sometimes not too simply - a matter of good against evil," said Ebsen. "That's all any drama is really about. Also, it ain't what you do, it's the way you do it."

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Ebsen acknowledged that a character like Barnaby was a sharp contrast to other ones that audiences had grown accustomed to seeing him in.

"I'd say Barnaby is a new man for me, not related in any way to roles I've played in the past," said the actor. "He is really a contemporary man who feels at home in almost any surroundings. Barnaby understands human emotions."

Of course, while the series relied heavily on human relationships to help fuel audience investment, Barnaby Jones was not without the high-energy plots that made so many drama shows exciting.

"We certainly don't have a static show," said Ebsen. "There is plenty of action, but also not a lot of violence, not that Barnaby can't handle a gun!"