I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie was a popular sitcom, filmed from 1965 to 1970 and produced by NBC.
It was created by Sidney Sheldon in response to the great success of rival network ABC's Bewitched series, which had debuted in 1964 as the second most watched program in the United States. William Asher, the producer of Bewitched was called upon unofficially to comment on the final script for the pilot episode which Sheldon was hoping would capture the essential elements of Bewitched.
The premise of the two programs was very similar. Both featured a beautiful woman who was possessed of magical powers, and who tried to fit into the mortal world to please the man she loved. The comedy in both series was derived from her attempts at keeping her powers secret, while very often needing to use those powers to resolve situations. Both featured a rambunctious sister played by the lead actress, with a black wig to mark her "black hat" status.
Jeannie was a genie woken from her sleep when astronaut, Anthony Nelson, found a bottle washed up on a desert-island beach. As he had found her, it was both his right and his obligation to take future responsibility for her. Returning home with him, Jeannie was initially little more than a servant, but as the series developed, so did their relationship, and eventually the couple was married.
In most episodes Barbara Eden wore little more than her revealing "Jeannie" costume but despite the fact that she was allowed to be depicted living in a house with a man to whom she was not married, censors of the day would not allow Eden's navel to be seen. The makers of the series were also presented with the challenge of filming around Eden's real life pregnancy, without writing it into the Jeannie storyline.
I Dream of Jeannie was popular and rated well over it's first three seasons, but it was never able to duplicate the success of Bewitched. The cast reunited for several television features, with their most recent reunion taking place in I Still Dream of Jeannie (1991).
Main cast
- Jeannie (and sister Jeannie) — Barbara Eden
- Tony Nelson — Larry Hagman, who occasionally directed
- Roger Healy — Bill Daily, who occasionally wrote
- Dr. Bellows —
