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'I Dream of Jeannie" S1 is great DVD set for dreary winter days
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Maj. Nelson enjoying 'genie' therapy
Today's nasty weather in Massachusetts inspired me to finally write about the four-disc 30-episode DVD set of 1960s fantasy sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie." I am glad that I bought the colorized version, but purists can buy the set with the original black-and-white episodes.
At the outset, I will admit that I do not know why I pull my sets of this show out of my
collection of hundreds of sitcoms whenever I feel blue. I just know that "genie" therapy has been very effective all of my life.
I think that I liked this show even better than the similar excellent show "Bewitched" because Eden was just so darn perky and her show had a bit more physical comedy. I think as well that most of us can relate to the fantasy of having even a purely platonic companion who can do virtually anything for us and loves us so much that they use that power to help us without considering the consequences. I believe that this is the real reason that Tony Nelson did not toss Jeannie back in the ocean during the first season.
The reasons that the first season is my favorite are that these episodes are not as familiar to me as others because many earlier syndication runs did not include the black-and-white episodes, these shows seemed to have a richer look and more style to them than later seasons, and the stories seemed to have more substance as well.
This is also the season that had one of my favorite episodes that involved Nelson's pal Roger Healey discovering that Jeannie was a genie. My other favorites from later seasons included the episode with the blue jin, the first appearance of Jeannie's evil sister, and virtually every episode that had a heavy "mod" element. I bet that those of you who remembered these episodes smiled.
The first season set also included a very interesting documentary that included an interview with the three stars that reminded me of the great chemistry that they shared. Bill Daily joking about getting cast as Healey after a session on the casting couch of Sidney Sheldon, who created the show, was particularly amusing. I also enjoyed the interview with Sheldon and wonder if coveting the genie bottle in his living room really really badly is a sin.
Please do share your own thoughts regarding this truly timeless show as additions to this entry or as e-mail to tvdvdguy@gmail.com.
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