When you think of the show “I Dream of Jeannie” obviously Jeannie is the first thing that comes to mind! You probably remember the most iconic move in TV history, too. That would be how the character Jeannie used her magical powers. You will probably remember this move as her nodding her head and blinking one time.
This was not always the case though, originally the gesture was a bit different. Jeannie would make a series of eye flutters while also folding her arms. Slightly different but still a major change! We can definitely say that the series would not have been the same if this gesture was changed.
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!
California Dreaming
The show “I Dream of Jeannie” took place in the area known as Cape Kennedy, Florida. During the show, they even say that Tony’s address is 1020 Palm Drive which is an address in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
You will notice, however, that Roger Healey’s office is actually that of the Dryden Flight Research Center which is located in Los Angeles California at the Edwards Air Force Base. Also, you can spot the Hollywood Hills in the background of several episodes that were supposed to be Cocoa Beach! Also, the deserted island in episode one is actually a beach in Malibu!
Jeannie The Cartoon
Once “I Dream of Jeannie” was canceled, the network had to replace the show. They replaced it with a Hanna-Barbera cartoon called “Jeannie” which was, of course, very loosely based on the show “I Dream of Jeannie.”
The cartoon aired on television for over two years. The plot of the cartoon was quite different than that of the show. In the cartoon, a teenager who was a surfer finds Jeannie’s bottle. Jeannie begins to protect the teenager from people at the high school he went to. The cartoon was filled with a star-studded cast of voice actors such as Mark Hamill, Julie McWhirter, and Bob Hastings.
Everything Looks Better In Color
By the time the first season of “I Dream of Jeannie” finished, all of the other networks had already made their way into transitioning their shows for color television. It was time for the show to debut in color. This happened with the start of their second season.
They also finally decided on a theme song at the beginning of the second season. The theme song and the fact that the show was in color was not the only new thing starting with season 2. They were also debuting a new introduction for the show which was an animation created by Friz Freleng who was famous for his cartooning on Looney Tunes.