“I Dream of Jeannie’s” creator was a talented writer named Sidney Sheldon. Sidney knew exactly what the secret sauce was to make hit TV shows(and more)! Over the course of 3 decades, he created not one, but MULTIPLE hit TV shows!
Aside from his success with “I Dream of Jeannie,” he was also the man behind “The Patty Duke Show” which was on TV from 1963-1966 and the show “Hart to Hart” which also ran for six years! Additionally, he also wrote multiple top-selling novels such as “The Other Side of Midnight” and “Rage of Angels.” Sidney died in 2007, but he left a legacy that is absolutely unbelievable and will last forever!
The Nelson Home
Believe it or not, the cozy little home used as the Nelson Residence on “I Dream of Jeannie” is still standing today! Unfortunately, it is not used for filming any TV shows or movies. But it remains in use for other purposes on the Warner Brothers Ranch in California.
The iconic home that was used as Jeannie and Tony’s home is now used as the Operations office on the Ranch. While there have been a couple of minor changes to the exterior, the structure, for the most part, has been unchanged for 50 years! Thank goodness, since they ended up burning most of the set and props when they finished filming.
The Lion Whisperer
The lion that was on the “I Dream of Jeannie” set was VERY real. Yes, they had a REAL LIFE lion on their TV set. Thankfully Barbara Eden was dubbed the ‘lion whisperer’ since she was so good with the animal.
Hagman, on the other hand, was not so good with the lion. It was said that on set, Eden would tell Hagman to let the lion smell him and be very still before trying to interact with it. Hagman didn’t want to oblige to her rules and was said to have screamed: “I’m not making friends with any [bleeping] lion!”.
The “Friends” Connection
Do you remember John Bennett Perry? He was an actor who played the small role of the owner of a sporting goods store in the “I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later” made for TV movie. His name may not ring a bell, but he is the father of the late star of “Friends,” Matthew Perry.
Another wild connection to the show “Friends” is the fountain which is shown in the opening theme song of “Friends.” This famous fountain is actually right across the street from the set of the Nelson home and was seen in many episodes of “I Dream of Jeannie.”
Black And White
The first season of “I Dream of Jeannie” was in black and white and had no theme song! The producers could never all decide on a theme song, so for the entire first season, they just did not have one! The producers also originally wanted season one to be in color, but the network did not think it was going to last for a second season, so they did not shell out for the expense!
When it was time for the second season to come out, the creators also debuted the show’s theme song for the first time! This was also the first time the show was shown in color! So many firsts took place during this iconic second season!