Bewitched is better executed than IDOJ in its early days. But the central conflict of Bewitched results in a lot of unpleasant behavior. In contrast, Tony, Jeannie, and Roger enjoy each other’s company. And they even like Dr Bellows, despite his constant intrusions. The unpleasantness of Darrin (particularly Dick Sargent’s Darrin) vs Samantha’s family really wears after a while. IDOJ is a happier show.
Out of the Bottle: The 'I Dream of Jeannie' Thread
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It's a good point. I prefer BEWITCHED because I think it's funnier, with a better and broader cast, but it's a show with a premise built on antagonism. Sam's family doesn't accept Darren, but Darren doesn't accept Sam for who she is either. (I'm not sure at what point in my life I realized it, but Endora was right.)
I'll give IDOJ one other credit: its characters and situations evolved. Tony became more accepting of Jeannie as a genie, stopped hiding her, and of course they eventually married. BEWITCHED remained utterly stagnant throughout its run; relationships didn't change one bit in 254 episodes. Even the introduction of two kids didn't so much as wrinkle the status quo.
I'll give IDOJ one other credit: its characters and situations evolved. Tony became more accepting of Jeannie as a genie, stopped hiding her, and of course they eventually married. BEWITCHED remained utterly stagnant throughout its run; relationships didn't change one bit in 254 episodes. Even the introduction of two kids didn't so much as wrinkle the status quo.
I thought Bewitched could have continued the rivalry between Endora and Darrin but the nastiness should have been toned down as Darrin and Samantha’s marriage went on. Instead, it got worse. After the grandchildren arrived, both Maurice and Endora should have mellowed a bit toward Darrin. He was the father of their grandchildren! Even Archie and the Meathead eventually accepted each other (though still argued). An occasional softer moment would have helped.
And yep, Darrin should have eased up on the “no witchcraft” edict. He was really a jerk about that.
And yep, Darrin should have eased up on the “no witchcraft” edict. He was really a jerk about that.
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JEANNIE did evolve over the course of its five-year-run. You see the romantic tension between Jeannie and Tony turn into a real romance, an event punctuated by their marriage in the fifth and final season (a story turn that made JEANNIE, as one critic said, "BEWITCHED without the baby").
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I've not long purchased the complete series of I Dream of Jeannie.
I'll have to get stuck into it when I'm off work this week.
I'll have to get stuck into it when I'm off work this week.
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I love Barbara but will always disagree with her opinion on Jeannie/Tony's marriage. The final season is my favourite
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If they were going to marry Jeannie and Tony, they should've waited to do it in the final episode at least. The final season of JEANNE was basically BEWITCHED without the baby.I love Barbara but will always disagree with her opinion on Jeannie/Tony's marriage. The final season is my favourite
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IDOJ has never been one of my favorites, but I give it credit for being a true rarity among 1960s sitcoms in that its characters and relationships evolved. I can't think of any other sitcom of the era that wasn't mostly/entirely static. Over on BETWITCHED, the scenario didn't change one smidge: Darren never accepted Sam for who she was, Endora never accepted Darren. Tony and Jeannie's relationship grew over the course of the show, and I think having them get married when they did was an appropriate development. Maybe it the show was going to run longer the marriage was premature, but as a final season it gave them some time to explore the post-wedding.
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See I sort of agree but also disagree. Tony and Jeannie have a much more balanced relationship than Darrin and Samantha. I never liked Darrin the entire time I watched the show, he was always so harsh about magic and Samantha's abilities and never really accepted how life could be and was. The narrative around the show is that it's about acceptance of differences and living together in one society but the conversation is always about Endora and Darrin rather than Darrin and Samantha.
As a young woman now (I've just turned 30), I would date Tony but would run from Darrin.
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Wise. As I've said a few times, one of the ironies of watching BEWITCHED from a vantage point is realizing Endora wasn't the villain; she was right. Darren was a jerk who didn't deserve Samantha.
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Well, I could see why one would draw that conclusion. Tony often used and aided from Jeannie's magic with glee, while Darrin was always down Samantha's back about her powers.
Barbara Eden Recalls ‘Joys’ and ‘Challenges’ of Working With Larry Hagman on ‘I Dream of Jeannie’
Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman never met before their I Dream of Jeannie screen test together. “We started doing this scene and I threw my arms around his neck,” Barbara tells Closer exclusively. “Late...
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I liked that about IDOJ. I thought Darren was a pompous, self-righteous person about the "No magic". That is who Samantha is, and he should accept her for it.
I am on team Endora.
Nothing against Dick York and Dick Sergeant, two good actors.
Ref the Jeannie cartoon, either Barbara Eden wasn't available, interested or the budget couldn't afford her, hence the role being recast with Julie McWhirter, later to be the wife of Rick Dees.
Mark Hamill, pre Star Wars also voiced a character on the animated show.
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The animated show "Jeannie" was actually about a whole different set of characters -teenagers, in fact.
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Good God I love this show. Stupid, insipid, predictable, but funny and goofy. Most of the charms from Barbara Edeh playing Jeannie as an innocent, naive but very strict in being good.
The Bellows were great.
Bill Daily as Roger with his low key charms.
The show was never about a woman being controlled by a man despite her calling him Master. She was always in control.
The the marriage didn't ruin the show, some of the funniest episodes are of that time.
The Bellows were great.
Bill Daily as Roger with his low key charms.
The show was never about a woman being controlled by a man despite her calling him Master. She was always in control.
The the marriage didn't ruin the show, some of the funniest episodes are of that time.
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But isn't that just like the opening??
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It's similar, but not identical.