While the show “I Dream of Jeannie” was so far fetched, the show had one aspect that was actually close to real life! Tony Nelson was actually in the Air Force, and Roger Healey served in the Army. In real life the actor Hagman served his country in the US Air Force while Bill Daily spent his years of service in the US Army. He had been an artilleryman in the Korean War.
This real-life experience was so amazing to have while playing their roles. Surely it helped in their character development and the delivery of their lines!
"Jeannie's" Real Husband
In real life, Barbara Eden was married to actor Michael Ansara. He had a role on I Dream of Jeannie, as The Blue Djinn. In the storyline, it is stated that Genie is banished to the bottle when she refuses to marry the Blue Djinn. That must have made for some interesting moments on set!
The show had so many bit players and guest stars come on the show. They only had a handful of regulars, so most of the cast came in and out during the five-year-long run. It is fun to watch the series again knowing that Barbara was actually married to the actor playing the Blue Djinn!
No One Fact Checking
These days when you are watching your favorite television show you may catch small errors here and there, whether it be continuity errors or editing mistakes. But there are people specifically on set to make sure that these errors do not happen often.
Back in the day when shows like “I Dream of Jeannie” took place, these kind of errors were not really a big deal and there was no one making sure that they did not happen because paying an editor meant more money spent! One little error heard in the series was in the episode where Tony goes to Italy. He says that Jeannie would know Italy as Gaul - but that was actually the Roman name for France, not Italy.
Eden Knows Her Stuff
It was very well known that the cast all hated the wedding episode. Eden was particularly against the wedding happening between her character and Tony. She went on to say that the marriage did not make sense since she was not even human. She was worried this would tarnish the show's credibility. She also believed that it would ruin the sexual tension that the show was always so focused on.
It was like she used her powers to predict the future, because, everyone hated the episode, even the fans! Sadly the show was canceled shortly after the episode aired.
Surprise, Surprise
Talk about awkward, Larry was actually never told that “I Dream of Jeannie” had been canceled. After the fifth season of the series finished filming, Larry took a much-needed vacation to South America. During this time, they canceled the show but neglected to inform Larry.
When he returned from his trip, he headed to the studio to pick up some things that he needed from his dressing room on set. When he arrived to set, a security guard at the studio told him that the show was canceled and that he no longer would be filming. He must have been quite angry!