Fans of “I Dream of Jeannie” were in for a major treat when the leading couple came back together during the filming of “Dallas.” Larry was a regular on this show, playing the character of J.R. Ewing. Barbara Eden came on the show for a five-episode stint as the role of Lee Ann De La Vega.
In Edens last episode of her 5 episode stretch, her character says that her maiden name is Nelson. This funny moment was actually a little joke about the widely hated marriage episode of “I Dream Of Jeannie” which of course, both Barbara and Larry hated as well.
The $100,000? Jim Beam Bottle
What would you pay to own the original bottle from “I Dream of Jeannie?” Julien’s Auctions will be auctioning off Jeannie’s bottle for a whopping $100,000! There were multiple bottles used during filming, but this would be the main one.
This is wild considering the prop master used a Jim Beam whiskey bottle and got it painted and decorated to become this famous piece of history! The bottle was about $5, and the paint job cost the crew a couple hundred. If you are the lucky winner of the bottle, you will also receive a letter from Barbara which authenticates the bottle.
The Episode That Disappointed The Fans
The infamous wedding episode of “I Dream of Jeannie” was hated by not only the actors but also fans of the show. Everyone saw the wedding to be so far fetched and insincere, and the show was actually canceled pretty soon after this episode was shown!
Despite the hatred for this episode, NBC was trying to really hype it up. They even staged a fake wedding for Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman a week before the episode was going to air. NBC invited writers and press from all over the US to come to the wedding. Such an elaborate publicity stunt!
Celebrating The Legendary Show
The big 50th-anniversary party for “I Dream of Jeannie” took place 3 years ago on September 18th, 2015. Barbara Eden alongside the network NBC came together to celebrate the Anniversary of “I Dream Of Jeannie.”
Eden shared her feelings about the show, her time on the show and of course what it was like to play the iconic role of Jeannie. Playing such an iconic character for such a long time would, of course, keep you in the spotlight for your entire career, that may bother some people but definitely not Barbara. She embraced the fact that she was infamous for this role.
The Last Of Its Kind
Did you know that “I Dream Of Jeannie” was actually the last TV shows to be aired in black and white? It had its entire first season in black and white before moving to color. It was rumored that the smoke they used for Jeannie’s magic was only able to be pulled off in black and white. They did not think it would translate in color. The special effects were fixed, and then they changed to color for the second season in 1966.
There was also a rumor that NBC did not think the show would last, so they did not want to spend the $400 an episode that it would take to make it in color.