Movies - TV
How One I Dream Of Jeannie Episode Killed The Entire Show
By SANDY SCHAEFER
Sidney Sheldon’s "I Dream of Jeannie" was a huge hit in the ‘60s but the rom-com about a supernatural lady causing mayhem in the suburbs was cut short in its fifth season.
Its dwindling ratings coincided with Episode 124, "The Wedding," where Jeannie and Tony get married. The decision to do this wasn’t something Sheldon wanted.
In his memoir “The Other Side of Me,” Sheldon revealed that NBC's then-head of programming, Mort Werner, told him that the characters needed to get married if he wanted a Season 5.
Sheldon wrote the wedding episode, but this caused issues for the next season. He explained, “The relationship had changed, and much of the fun went out of the show.”
Jeannie actress Barbara Eden felt similar, as she explained on Today: “I didn't [like the idea], it just ruined the show. Because she [Jeannie] wasn't human! She was an entity.”
As Eden saw it, this broke the show’s "credibility" and ruined its internal dynamics. She noted, "We had a lot of fun with the fact that she [Jeannie] was weird."