ninja_glace This show was produced during the years following World War 2, when large numbers of American GIs were returning home from campaigns in overseas theaters. One of the places where American soldiers fought was North Africa, which was used by the armed forces to stage an invasion of Italy. This show is most likely a metaphor for a GI who brought home a bride from overseas.I've seen some pretty scathing criticism directed towards the portrayal of gender roles in this show, but it looks a lot more progressive if one interprets it in its historical context. Prior to the women's liberation movement of the 1960s, there was the first wave of feminism during the 1920s triggered by the passage of 19th Amendment which granted women suffrage for the first time.It looks like this show is trying to appeal to the sensibilities of socially conservative feminists, such as the ones who made up the suffrage movement. This demographic subset may not be as common among the mainstream American population, but you will see it quite a bit in the academic establishment.

earlytalkie I Dream of Jeannie premiered one year after Bewitched debuted to huge ratings on ABC. NBC hired Sidney Sheldon to come up with a similar show to boost up it's own ratings. I Dream of Jeannie came on line in the fall of 1965 as one of only two black-and-white prime time shows on the peacock network. Rumor has it that the powers that be at NBC had so little faith in the show as to veto the decision to film in color. When Sheldon proposed going into his own pocket for the color film, he was reportedly told not to waste his money. The show went into color for the 1966-67 season and the original black-and-white episodes have been colorized. (One of the best examples of the practice). Despite the obvious similarities to Bewitched, the series has it's own unique charm and is just as enjoyable as Bewitched. Barbara Eden lit up the screen as Jeannie and Larry Hagman displayed a facility for physical humor that should be remembered today. Hayden Rorke made a memorable Dr. Bellows with the delicious Emmaline Henry as his wife. Bill Daily did an excellent job as the often put-upon Roger Healey. Once Jeannie and Tony Nelson wed, the sexual tension between the leads was broken, and the show became slightly more mundane. Jeannie is a true classic which will probably always be shown.

sonya90028 A young Astronaut, who is stranded on a remote island after a scrubbed mission, happens upon a fancy-looking bottle. He uncorks it, and a big trail of pink smoke flows out. A gorgeous female Genie, materializes from the smoke cloud. The Astronaut, Major Tony Nelson, allows the Genie to come back with him to his home in Coca Beach, FL. This sets the stage for the basic premise of this show, which revolves around the misadventures of Major Nelson, and how his life is turned upside-down by the Genie.I Dream Of Jeannie premiered on TV, roughly a year after that other show about a magical female, called Bewitched. I thought that I Dream Of Jeannie, was more in tune with the changing social mores of the 60s. After all, Tony Nelson was a swinging bachelor, who had a hot-looking babe of a Genie, at his disposal. On the other hand, Bewitched was more like the staid sitcom Leave It To Beaver, except that the wife and mother in Bewitched had supernatural powers.Larry Hagman as Major Tony Nelson, was a perfect straight-arrow foil for his co-star, Barbara Eden as Jeannie. They had a crackling on-screen chemistry between them. Bill Daly as Tony's colleague and friend, Captain Roger Healy, added a nice comic touch to the show. So did Hayden Rourke as Tony's superior, Dr. Bellows. Dr. Bellows was forever trying to get a handle on why such strange situations, always seemed to surround Major Nelson.This was a good show in it's day. It was funny, a bit subversive (due to Tony's always getting the better of the authority figures that he had to report to), and imaginative. Any way you slice it, I Dream Of Jeannie is a fun, classic 60s sitcom.

ntvnyr30 This show still makes me laugh after all these years. In fact, I prefer it to some of the rubbish that's on TV now. It was clean fun, despite the fact that Barbara Eden was half-exposed.I was never a fan of "Bewitched" and still cannot understand the popularity of that show compared with "Jeannie". I always thought "Jeannie" was much, much funnier than "Bewitched".I read some other posts where people are waxing philosophic about the the deeper meaning of "Jeannie"--having something to do with appealing to our prurient instincts. The fact is that the show was extremely funny and still is. The main reason for the success was the two leads in Eden and Hagman. Both were fine comic actors. Hagman's ability to employ slapstick humor made him funny. Barbara Eden was just as talented: her genius is exemplified when she plays her sister. You can barely tell it's the same person. She was every man's dream not just for her looks, but her bubbly personality.A classic show that will hold up for years to come.