Barbara Eden Doesn’t Think ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ Would Be Made Now
With a folding of her arms and nodding of her head, Barbara Eden blinked her way into our hearts, becoming one of the most beloved icons in TV history. I Dream of Jeannie debuted in 1965, with Eden as the titular genie, falling in love with Captain Tony Nelson (Larry Hagman), the brave astronaut who freed her from her bottle. For five seasons, their hijinks and adventures entertained audiences.
60 years later, with all the remakes and reboots happening, could I Dream of Jeannie get made in 2025? In a new interview with Forbes, the 93-year-old Eden says that it’s unlikely: “I think it could be — I’m not sure that anyone would want to do it.”
Why? Well, Jeannie’s habit of referring to Tony as “master” might not sit well with modern audiences. Eden defended the language, saying “You know, ‘master’ is just a word, and it was in her vocabulary. She didn’t really say she was a slave. Never, you know?”
Eden noted that Jeanine was made in “a classic theme” of a genie. “A thousand years and all the genies – and she was an entity,” added Barbara. “She wasn’t a human, but she thought she could be a human and [Tony] knew she couldn’t – and there, you have the comedy, because she just wasn’t human.”
In the interview, Eden noted that Jeannie was “2,000 years old” when Captain Nelson found her, but she quickly adapted to the new world and the freedom that afforded her. “She learned quickly. She didn’t know she was ahead of her time. I think Jeannie, her heart ruled,” said Eden.
When asked if Eden’s outlook on the word “femininity” has changed since I Dream of Jeannie, Barbara responded, “No, not at all – although I understand that the social dynamics have changed. I understand that. We’re people – we’re happy people. We’re good people. There’s always a lemon in there somewhere, but mostly, we’re pretty good.”
The original run of I Dream of Jeannie concluded in 1970. Eden reprised her role in the TV movie, I Dream of Jeannie…Fifteen Years Later, and again in 1991’s I Still Dream of Jeannie.
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July/August 2025
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