"I Dream of Jeannie" (1965) TV series 1965-1970

Creator:

Sidney Sheldon

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

18 September 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Plot:

A United States astronaut finds his life vastly complicated when he stumbles on to a bottle containing a female genie.

Plot Keywords:

Bottle | Genie | Astronaut | Desert Island | Florida

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Dec. 29	3:00 PM	WGNAMER	My Poor Master, the Civilian	#2.21
Tue. Dec. 29	3:30 PM	WGNAMER	There Goes the Best Genie I Ever Had	#2.22

Cast

Barbara Eden	...	Jeannie / ... (139 episodes, 1965-1970)
Larry Hagman	...	Major Anthony Nelson / ... (139 episodes, 1965-1970)
Bill Daily	...	Major Roger Healey / ... (129 episodes, 1965-1970)
Hayden Rorke	...	Dr. Alfred Bellows (127 episodes, 1965-1970)

Runtime:

Argentina:30 min | USA:30 min (139 episodes) | Chile:30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (1965-1966) | Color (1966-1970)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:TV-G | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Singapore:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Columbia/Sunset Gower Studios - 1438 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Trivia:

Barbara Eden was the first blonde to audition for the role of Jeannie; all the other actresses competing for the role had dark hair.

Goofs:

Continuity: In one episode Jeannie's eyes are dilated after getting an exam. She is unable blink a jewelry shop out of Tony's office, but after saying she can't blink, she does.

Quotes:

Jeannie: All I do is think and blink.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: The Last Temptation of Homer (#5.9)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Theme song

The misadventures of an astronaut and a genie.

I Dream of Jeannie, starring Barbara Eden as the blithe, beautiful two thousand year old blonde genie named Jeannie and Larry Hagman the perpetually befuddled astronaut Anthony Nelson.

The series starts when U.S. Air Force Captain (later promoted to Major) Anthony Nelson's space shuttle launch experiences a third stage rocket malfunction causing NASA to scrub the mission. Where upon his Mercury style capsule splashes down of the coast of an uncharted South Pacific island.

After washing ashore Nelson constructs an S.O.S. signal from debris on the shoreline. In this debris is an ancient sand caked bottle of Arabic origin. After noticing the bottle won't seem to stay in one spot, Tony picks it up to examine it. After pulling out the cork, and dusting it off a cloud of smoke gushes forth. The mystical fog then takes the form of a beautiful blonde girl dressed in an Arabic harem costume. After her appearance she kneels before Tony and exclaims in Arabic/Farsee "Your wish is my command master."

After wishing her to speak English Jeannie summons a rescue helicopter. But when Tony realizes that he could never explain her to his superiors, his nosy doctor, Dr. Bellows or the outside world he tries to set her free.

After believing she has left, Tony boards the helicopter.

Little does he know that Jeannie has snuck along with him inside her bottle. Her love for her now ex-master is so strong she can not bear to be away from him. There for Jeannie freely remains as Tony's genie.

From September 18th, 1965 to September 7th, 1970 through 139 half hour episodes, the series depicts the wacky situations Jeannie gets her 'master' and his goofy best friend "Major Roger Healey" (Bill Daily) into, and out of. From showing Tony he truly did not love his first fiancée, to finally marrying him in 1970. As well as unintentionally driving a very sane Dr. Bellows out of his mind with her wacky, misguided magic.

Along the way appearances are made by Jeannie's mother, her crazy uncles, her magical and usually invisible dog Djinn-Djinn and her unforgetable, worldwide infamous, wicked, raven haired twin sister also named Jeannie. Not to mention a long line of celebrity guest stars from Sammy Davis Jr. to Groucho Marx.

I Dream of Jeannie is a classic show with eternal appeal. Each generation will enjoy this classic sitcom. I'm sure two thousand years from now our descendants will be watching the girl in the bottle play 'spin the astronaut!'