Playing For Two Teams
Did you know that Jeannie had an evil twin sister on the show? Her name, strangely enough, was also Jeannie! This sister character was created by a former “Bewitched” writer named James S. Henerson.
James was swiftly fired from the “Bewitched” writing team after someone, probably because another writer or producer discovered that he was writing for the two shows simultaneously. This was bad news since “I Dream of Jeannie” was often said to be a rip off of “Bewitched!” They did not want to have any similarities between the two shows, so he was fired right away!
Barton MacLane's Sudden Death
There were not many recurring characters on the show aside from the two stars. So when one actor disappeared quite suddenly, it did not go unnoticed. The actor Barton MacLane was one of the other semi-regulars on the series (aside from the lead roles). Barton MacLane came down with a severe case of pneumonia and then suddenly passed away in 1969 during filming. Because of this sudden death, they were not able to really right any resolution into the show, and they just had to keep going.
He was known as a fantastic character actor with many TV and film credits under his belt before his untimely death.
Bill Daily - From Stand Up Comedy To Guest Star
Making regular appearances on “I Dream of Jeannie” was Bill Daily, who played the role of Roger Healey. Roger was, like Tony, an astronaut. The two were good friends on the show, and the character of Roger was always showing up in episodes!
The storyline of Roger and Tony was mainly focused on adding a good amount of comedy to the series. The episodes including Roger would usually be focused on Tony trying to hide Jeannie’s “powers” from him thus creating a nice storyline of silly dialogues and scenes. This was easy for Bill, as he was also a stand-up comedian prior to joining the cast of “I Dream of Jeannie.”
Barbara Eden In Harper Valley
When “I Dream of Jeannie” was canceled, everyone was, of course, upset; however, Barbara knew that was not the end of her career. She also had a feeling it would not be the end of her time as Jeannie - and she was right! She got to reprise her role two times in the made-for-tv movies which aired in 1985 and 1991!
Barbara also had a role on the TV series “Harper Valley.” She got to star once again alongside Larry Hagman in 1990 on five episodes of the series “Dallas.” She also got to go on a promo tour with Larry when the DVD of the series came out!
Larry Hagman’s Big Break
If you’re a fan of Larry Hagman, then you know that he got his first taste of fame on Broadway. After he made it on Broadway, he had a couple of minor TV roles before landing the starring role on “I Dream of Jeannie.”
He had stated that his theater training really paid off on his success both with “I Dream of Jeannie” and his other television shows. Acting was in Larry’s blood. His mom was also a Broadway actor. She had great success starring on Broadway in shows such as “South Pacific,” “Peter Pan,” and even “The Sound of Music.”