Barnaby Jones. The formerly retired private eye who went back into business after his son was murdered. Now, it might be easy to see Buddy Ebsen in the role of Jones, as he portrayed the investigator for eight seasons (though much less so in seasons seven and eight), but Ebsen didn't really see himself stepping into the shoes of Barnaby Jones. 

It all starts with what the higher-ups at CBS wanted the character of Jones to be in the first place. The answer was, they didn't really know. The show sort of came about in an odd way overall, according to its star.

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The Beverly HillbilliesBarnaby Jones

Did Buddy Ebsen say these lines as Jed Clampett or Barnaby Jones?

Thus, the character and show of Barnaby Jones were born. Once that was settled, next came figuring out what the veteran investigator's character would be like.

"There was no pilot... It was a gamble... and, apparently it's paying off," said Ebsen. "That's how Barnaby started and, really, nobody had any idea what Barnaby should be." 

It led to an interesting idea, one that Martin obviously thought Ebsen could deliver on. Ebsen didn't think so. 

"Quinn Martin said something about a 'foxy grandpa,' and I said I could never deliver a 'foxy grandpa,'" Ebsen explained. "He said, 'well, just play him like yourself.' So, I take the view that police, cops, detectives, no matter what age, are human beings and I try to play my part like a human being." 

So he may not have been deemed a "foxy grandpa," but Ebsen didn't really see himself as a private eye either. The plain-spoken Ebsen played Barnaby the best way he could, which led critics to say the character and actor had very few differences. Did Ebsen think the same?

"I don't know," he said. "But when they started this notion, which didn't come from me, I would have never cast myself as a detective." 

One clear difference between the character and actor for this role?

"Well, I don't drink that much milk," Ebsen said.