 Jack Barry died in May 1984, not too long after completing production of the 1983-84 season of "Joker".Upon his death, Dan Enright immediately succeeded his longtime producing partner and began making many changes that Kline and other staffers opposed, including the choice of Bill Cullen (of "Hot Potato") as the successor to Barry on "Joker", as opposed to fill-in host Jim Peck, who Barry had intended to succeed him permanently for the 1984-85 season.Not long after this, Kline and some B&E staff members – including Jack Barry's two sons Jon C. and Douglas C. Barry, as well as composer Hal Hidey and set designer John C. Mula – left the company and formed "Kline and Friends".