DVD REVIEW: I DREAM OF JEANNIE – 50th Anniversary Edition

Shane | 23 January 2016 | Reply

DVD REVIEW: I DREAM OF JEANNIE – 50th Anniversary Edition
Shock Entertainment
4 November, 2015
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
8/10

The beautiful Barbara Eden brought ancient Persian genie Jeannie to life in this wonderful hit show made between 1965 and 1970, playing opposite Larry Hagman’s astronaut Captain (later Major) Tony Nelson, who accidentally becomes her master – and in the fifth and last season, husband – with light relief from Bill Dailey as Captain (also later Major) Healey, Nelson’s offsider.

The premise of the show is marvellous in itself, allowing all sorts of magical hijinks from Jeannie, with Nelson desperate to keep her abilities a secret. If that was not enough, it’s the charismatic interplay between the leads and supporting actors which make the show so believable, hilarious and entertaining.

Eden remains ravishing even now, fifty years later, but despite her beauty she was anything but a dumb blonde and made Jeannie her calling card even as she went on to future successes in TV movies, the Harper Valley PTA film and TV series, and considerable stage and TV work. Hagman, of course, went on to mega stardom in Dallas.

Boasting all 139 episodes of the original show, the box set also promises it is “packed with bonus features”, but this is a slight overstatement. Included are the colourised episodes of the first series (originally shot in black & white), the original pilot episode (in which Nelson has a fiancé and Jeannie speaks ancient Persian!), a few commentary tracks and a behind-the-scenes featurette called Out Of The Bottle.