I Dream Of Jeannie: Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman - Sitcoms Online Photo Galleries

I Dream Of Jeannie ran from September 1965 until September 1970 on NBC.

Astronaut Tony Nelson ( Larry Hagman),was on a space mission that was aborted, forcing him to float down by parachute onto a deserted island. While waiting for the rescue team, he came across an old bottle that had apparently washed up onshore. When he opened it, out popped a 2,000-year-old genie ( played by the luscious Barbara Eden), who promptly accepted him as her master because he had set her free.

Upon his return to Cocoa Beach, Florida, Tony found that no one believed he had found a sexy genie in a bottle. The base psychiatrist, Dr. Bellows ( Hayden Rourke), was convinced that Tony had suffered delusions caused by exposure. Making matters worse, Jeannie (so aptly named!), refused to perform any magic or even appear for anyone but Tony. Her efforts to serve him often resulted in rather confusing situations, caused in part by her lack of familiarity with 20th century American customs.

Jeannie was in love with Tony, although their relationship was platonic during the first couple of seasons. She did not take kindly to any of the women he attempted to date, including Melissa ( Karen Sharpe), the General's daughter to whom he was engaged when the series premiered. Jeannie used her powers to motivate Melissa's old boyfriend to propose to her. Soon after Melissa was history as well as her father and Tony had a new commanding officer in General Peterson( Barton MacLane). Tony's girl-crazy buddy and fellow astronaut was Roger Healey ( Bill Daily)- the only other person who knew that Jeannie really did exist and had magical powers( he found out in the spring of 1966). Also appearing on the show was Dr. Bellows' wife Amanda ( Emmaline Henry) and beginning in 1969 Tony's newest Commanding Officer Gen. Winfield Schaeffer( played by Vinton Hayworth who joined the cast after Barton Maclaine had died.).

After four seasons of trying, Jeannie succeeded in convincing Tony that he loved her enough to marry her and on December 2, 1969, they were wed. Roger and Tony, originally captains, were both promoted to major in February 1966.During the show's run there were occasional appearances by Jeannie's magical and mostly invisible dog Djinn-Djinn, assorted crazy relatives, and during the last 3 seasons, her wicked twin sister Jeannie ( played by Ms. Eden in a dark wig). During the last season Roger's sexy girlfriend Tina ( Farrah Fawcett) , who seldom spoke, appeared in a number of episodes.

Sidney Sheldon was the creator and Executive Producer of the series for Screen Gems. The first season's episodes were filmed in black and white, the remainder of the 139 shows were broadcast in color.

A tv movie sequel surfaced on October 20, 1985. " I Dream Of Jeannie: Fifteen Years Later" reunited Barbara Eden, Bill Daily, and Hayden Rorke from the original cast; Wayne Rogers played Tony ( it would have been incongruous for Larry Hagman, now famous as Dallas's J.R. Ewing, to have returned). For the first time ever, viewers were able to see Jeannie's navel, which had always been covered by high-waisted harem pants in the series. A second reunion movie, " I Still Dream Of Jeannie aired six years later on October 20, 1991. It starred Eden and Daily ( who was now a Colonel)but not Rorke ( who had passed away). Astronaut Larry Hagman was not around( he was on an " extended secret mission"), but Ken Kercheval ( of Dallas) was to become Jeannie's temporary master for convoluted reasons.

Hayden Rorke's Obituary fron The New York Times

Hayden Rorke, Actor In Film, Plays and TV

AP
Published: August 21, 1987

Hayden Rorke, a stage, screen and television actor whose career spanned six decades, died of cancer Wednesday at his home in Toluca Lake, Calif. He was 76 years old.

Mr. Rorke appeared in 53 movies, including ''Pillow Talk,'' ''An American in Paris'' and ''The Nightwalker,'' in which he had the title role.

Born in New York, Mr. Rorke attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and appeared in 70 Broadway productions, including ''The Country Wife,'' ''The Philadelphia Story,'' ''The Iceman Cometh'' and ''A Moon for the Misbegotten.''

He was perhaps best known, however, for his television role as Dr. Alfred Bellows, the space agency psychiatrist and antagonist of the astronaut played by Larry Hagman on ''I Dream of Jeannie,'' which ran from 1965 to 1970 on NBC.

Mr. Rorke also made some 400 guest appearances in such TV series as ''I Love Lucy,'' ''The Loretta Young Show,'' ''Dr. Kildare,'' ''Bonanza,'' ''Perry Mason'' and ''Barnaby Jones.''

He is survived by two brothers.

Sidney Sheldon's Obituary

Author Sidney Sheldon dies at 89

January 31, 2007

Sidney Sheldon, best-selling US author of Rage of Angels and The Other Side of Midnight, has died at the age of 89.

He died of complications from pneumonia at a hospital near Palm Springs, California, his publicist said.

Before turning to novels at the age of 50, Sheldon had a successful career writing Broadway plays and films.

He won an Academy Award in 1948 for The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, starring Cary Grant, and created long-running TV series Hart to Hart.

But it is his hugely popular novels - devoured by readers though scorned by critics - for which he will be remembered.

Born in Chicago in 1917, Sheldon sold his first poem at the age of 10 and sold his first script to Hollywood at 17.

I like to write about women who are talented and capable, but who retain their femininity

Sidney Sheldon
After serving as a pilot during World War II, he established himself as a prolific playwright on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for the musical Redhead.

A Hollywood career beckoned, but it was on the small screen that he would make his mark thanks to writing successful sitcoms like The Patty Duke Show and I Dream of Jeannie.

When the latter came to an end in 1970, he turned his hand to fiction, topping the bestseller lists with his first novel The Naked Face.

His books were renowned for their strong female characters
Speaking in 1982, Sheldon likened his writing style to that of "the old Saturday afternoon serial".

"I try to write my books so the reader can't put them down," he wrote.

He went on to attribute his popularity with female readers to his ability to create strong female characters.

"I like to write about women who are talented and capable, but [who] retain their femininity," he said.

Sheldon published his most recent novel, The Other Side of Me, in 2005.

He is survived by his second wife Alexandra, his daughter Mary - also an author - and two grandchildren.

For a review of I Dream Of Jeannie go to http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/overview6.htm#dream