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". 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." 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 his autobiography, Lindsey said though "Mayberry R.F.D." gave his character more to do, he never felt the show's writing was up to the standards of "The Andy Griffith Show". 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". Lindsey portrayed "Goober" for the third and last time on the syndicated country music variety show "Hee Haw", playing a more rustic version of the character. He appeared on that show from 1972 to 1992. Lindsey died on May 6, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee from heart failure. He was 83. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in his hometown of Jasper, Alabama. His last guest appearance was on Larry the Cable Guy's "Hula Palooza Christmas Luau" in 2009.