The creator of “I Dream of Jeannie”, Sidney Sheldon shared in his 2006 memoir “The Other Side of Me,” a regretful decision enforced by NBC’s head of programming at the time, Mort Werner. Near the end of the show’s fourth season, Werner insisted on a pivotal change: the marriage of Tony and Jeannie for a fifth-season renewal. Though Sheldon penned the wedding episode, he believed it sapped the fun and energy out of the series:
We filmed the wedding at Cape Kennedy and a lot of the Air Force brass attended. I tried to make the script as interesting as possible, but with their marriage, the relationship had changed and much of the fun went out of the show. At the end of the fifth year, “I Dream of Jeannie” was canceled. Mort Werner had taken a hit show and destroyed it.
Star Barbara Eden also shared her disapproval during the 50th-anniversary segment on Today. She felt that making Jeannie human through marriage was a disservice to the character and the show. Eden contrasted “I Dream of Jeannie” to “Bewitched”, as witches, unlike genies, are human:
“Genies aren’t human. Witches are human. Genies are not. And she [Jeannie] thought she was and he [Tony] knew she wasn’t.”
Eden emphasized that the enchanting allure and humor of the show stemmed from Jeannie’s otherworldly nature, which was compromised by the wedding storyline.
FAQ Section
- What was the pivotal event that led to the demise of “I Dream of Jeannie”?
The marriage of Tony and Jeannie at the behest of NBC’s then-head of programming, Mort Werner, marked the beginning of the show’s demise.= - What does Sidney Sheldon say about the marriage episode in his memoir?
Sheldon noted that the marriage changed the relationship and removed much of the fun from the show, ultimately leading to its cancellation. - Why did Barbara Eden disagree with the decision to marry Tony and Jeannie?
Eden believed that Jeannie’s non-human identity was central to the show’s dynamics and charm, and becoming human through marriage harmed the essence of her character. - Did Barbara Eden believe the marriage affected the show’s quality?
Yes, Eden thought the marriage harmed the show’s credibility and ruined its internal dynamics.
Conclusion
The final marriage episode of “I Dream of Jeannie” stands as a pivotal moment that marks the beginning of the end for the beloved ’60s sitcom. As expressed by the show’s creator, Sidney Sheldon, and its star, Barbara Eden, the decision to marry off the characters disrupted the show’s magical formula and led to its eventual cancellation. While some shows of that era could nimbly navigate the dynamics of a wedded supernatural being like “Bewitched”, it proved a misstep for “I Dream of Jeannie,” where a significant part of the appeal was rooted in the fantastical and unattainably otherworldly nature of Jeannie’s character.