Although many rate "I Dream Of Jeannie" (IDOJ) as a knock-off of "Bewitched", which debuted a season earlier, this is a show that can stand on its own two feet.
Despite the female lead in both series having powers beyond mere mortals, the set up is vastly different in IDOJ as compared to its leading rival.
For starters, Jeannie is a more minx-like, impulsive creation that has yet to be domesticated. The closest parallel would be Samantha's mother, Endora, in "Bewitched". Barbara Eden was perfect for the role and the other lead players in the form of Larry Hagman (who later went on to achieve superstar status as evil J R in "Dallas"), Bill Daily and Hayden Rorke played their roles to perfection.
Like most series that are spontaneous, the cast members got along very well on and off screen, as verified by their comments in a filmed reunion interview found on the recently released DVD set.
In IDOJ, the sizzle comes from the developing romantic relationship between an unmarried, eligible bachelor played by Hagman and a beautiful, tempestuous lady; whereas in its witchcraft themed rival show, the romance between the lead characters was already established in a marriage and the setting was more domesticated. I am not saying that "Bewitched" was a better or worse programme, merely that IDOJ and that show achieve their ends through different means.
More importantly, perhaps, IDOJ provides a glimpse into a more innocent era before America was fully embroiled in Vietnam. It portrayed a military career and astronauts as noble career paths, so unlike what many think of these vocations today.
Also, in an early episode, Hagman's character is seen in a mid-Eastern setting in full USAF regalia, something that would not be as openly received in these perilous times we live in now.
All TV shows are generally a reflection of the era they were made in and IDOJ seems to capture the reverberations of a gentler and more respected America perfectly. Watching it now, the viewer gets to wonder how it all could have changed so dramatically in just four decades.
So, as a means of escapism and rose tinged nostalgia, this one takes some beating.
One last comment - the trivia bit which states that all characters drove Pontiacs is wrong as Bill Daily's character drove a Ford Fairlane Convertible, at least in the first season.
Despite the female lead in both series having powers beyond mere mortals, the set up is vastly different in IDOJ as compared to its leading rival.
For starters, Jeannie is a more minx-like, impulsive creation that has yet to be domesticated. The closest parallel would be Samantha's mother, Endora, in "Bewitched". Barbara Eden was perfect for the role and the other lead players in the form of Larry Hagman (who later went on to achieve superstar status as evil J R in "Dallas"), Bill Daily and Hayden Rorke played their roles to perfection.
Like most series that are spontaneous, the cast members got along very well on and off screen, as verified by their comments in a filmed reunion interview found on the recently released DVD set.
In IDOJ, the sizzle comes from the developing romantic relationship between an unmarried, eligible bachelor played by Hagman and a beautiful, tempestuous lady; whereas in its witchcraft themed rival show, the romance between the lead characters was already established in a marriage and the setting was more domesticated. I am not saying that "Bewitched" was a better or worse programme, merely that IDOJ and that show achieve their ends through different means.
More importantly, perhaps, IDOJ provides a glimpse into a more innocent era before America was fully embroiled in Vietnam. It portrayed a military career and astronauts as noble career paths, so unlike what many think of these vocations today.
Also, in an early episode, Hagman's character is seen in a mid-Eastern setting in full USAF regalia, something that would not be as openly received in these perilous times we live in now.
All TV shows are generally a reflection of the era they were made in and IDOJ seems to capture the reverberations of a gentler and more respected America perfectly. Watching it now, the viewer gets to wonder how it all could have changed so dramatically in just four decades.
So, as a means of escapism and rose tinged nostalgia, this one takes some beating.
One last comment - the trivia bit which states that all characters drove Pontiacs is wrong as Bill Daily's character drove a Ford Fairlane Convertible, at least in the first season.