Lee Meriwether was considered the cheerleader of ''Barnaby Jones''

Meriwether gave ''Barnaby Jones'' its spirit.

Let's be honest: We could all use a bit of support every now and then. Wouldn't life be a little bit easier if every time you had to make an uncomfortable phone call, you had someone beside you cheering you on? What if every time you cooked yourself dinner instead of ordering out, even if you were especially tired that day, there was someone with pom poms right beside you, congratulating you on your grit and determination? What if every time you finally did that chore that you'd been putting off for two weeks, you had a cheerleader beside you, ready to shout your praises to the entire neighborhood?

Only a few of us might be so lucky to get a cheerleader in our lives but for the cast of Barnaby Jones, their motivation appeared in the form of Lee Meriwether, who played Betty Jones, Barnaby's daughter-in-law. According to an interview with TV Guide, the set of Barnaby Jones actually referred to Meriwether as "Our Cheerleader." The article explained that the moniker was "partly because she led the cheers (and bought the team shirts) for a studio softball game, but mostly because of her upbeat attitude on the set."

Meriwether's agent, Mark Levin, was also around to speak on Lee's dedication and warmth. He stated, "Lee is above all things loyal." He also reasoned, "If you doubt that, figure this: how many people in the business keep the same agent for 20 years?"

Meriwether's upbeat attitude and steady determination didn't come out of nowhere. She said that it was instilled in her by her parents. She explained, "My folks used to tell me that if you want to get anywhere in this world you have to work for it. I guess that message took because if I don't have a goal, I get lazy. I hate being lazy."

So let's give three cheers to our favorite cheerleader of all: Lee Meriwether!

Watch Barnaby Jones on MeTV!

Tuesday–Saturday at 4 AM

*available in most MeTV markets
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9 Comments

BrittReid 9 months ago
She was the USA cheerleader in 1955.
cperrynaples BrittReid 9 months ago
I WAS RIGHT....LOL!
Runeshaper 9 months ago
Way to go, Lee Meriwether and her parents!
LoveMETV22 9 months ago
" Only a few of us might be so lucky to get a cheerleader in our lives."
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I guess if that was true, I would choose Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri.
cperrynaples 9 months ago
You look at Lee and you kinda think maybe she was a cheerleader in high school! BTW, she's still alive! And yes she was the Helen equilivant on NAGS!
Okay what is NAGS?
New Andy Griffith Show! Watch the pilot on YouTube where he sorta reunites with Barney & Goober!
I will do that.
I watched the beginning. It was weird watching Emmett and Goober jump up and surprise Andy or whatever his name was.
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