Bottom of the Sea episode entitled "Submarine Sunk Here". He appeared in six episodes of the television series Gunsmoke. He played a blackmailing taxicab]driver in the "Bed of Roses" episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Star Trek, cast as Spock During an interview segment of TV Land's 40th Anniversary Star Trek Marathon on November 12, 2006, Leonard Nimoy stated that Gene Roddenberry's first choice to play Spock was George Lindsey. Because of the flippant way Nimoy makes the comment, it has been suggested that he was joking. The claim Lindsey was offered the role is given more credibility when Lindsey's close friend Ernest Borgnine wrote in his autobiography, "my hand to God – he turned down the part of Mr. Spock on TV's Star Trek, the role that made Leonard Nimoy famous." Mayberry R.F.D., other acting work After Griffith left his television show, CBS retooled it as Mayberry R.F.D. and Lindsey played the same character until CBS cancelled the program in 1971. In 1972, Lindsey portrayed Charlie, one of a pair of highwaymen in the Gunsmoke episode "Blind Man's Bluff," and an escaped convict, "The Dove," in an episode of The Rifleman. Disney used his talents in a few projects, both as comedy support in features (Snowball Express) and voiceovers for a few of their animated characters. Three Disney animated features that presented the voice of Lindsey were The Aristocats (1970), Robin Hood (1973) and The Rescuers (1977). He appeared in the 1967 Gunsmoke episode "Mad Dog" as one of the Watson Brothers. In 1978, Lindsey guest starred on M*A*S*H as Roy Dupree, a wild but capable Southern surgeon. In 1997 Lindsey played himself in an episode of NewsRadio. As Goober on Hee Haw (1972–1992) Lindsey portrayed Goober for the third and last time on the syndicated country music variety show Hee Haw, playing a more rustic and somewhat smarter version of the character. He appeared on that show from 1972 to 1992. Death Lindsey died on May 6, 2012, in Nashville, Tennessee, from heart failure. He was 83. He is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in his hometown of Jasper, Alabama. Honors and citations Lindsey raised over US$1,000,000 for Alabama Special Olympics through 17 years of the George Lindsey Celebrity Weekend and Golf Tournament in Montgomery, Alabama and another $50,000 for the Alabama Association of Retarded Citizens, and participated as Head Coach-Winter Games in the Minneapolis, Minnesota Special Olympics