Isn't it odd that Jeannie, a fair skinned blonde, is from Baghdad?!

Not necessarily. I've met some fair-skinnned people from both Iraq and Iran. From what I've heard, some of them were even born with blonde hair, although their hair got much darker later on in life.

And, then there are the possibilites that Jeannie was also from ancient Babylon, or Constantinople. Watch the first season for info like that, as well as other info that conflicts with later episodes (such as her birthday - July 1st)
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif

Oh yea, that's right....in the 2nd or 3rd season she was gloomy b/c she "didn't know when her b-day was." Sounds like a blooper there.....

Well, I think it is more like they figure since they did not really _establish_ that her birthday was July 1st, 20 BC, no one would remember it (no vcr's back then...) And they could then make up a whole series of episodes around that fact (with Roger preventing her from finding out for a whole month) while they also explored other major plotlines.

And then you have the whole problem with her family _not_ being genies (djinn, the Arabic plural of djinni/genie), then at the beginning of the third season she has a djinni-sister. The rest of her family are considered djinn from that moment on. The first season introduces us to her very mortal parents, her father even consdiering it a great tragedy that Jeannie was changed into a djinni. I suggest that if you want to see even more "bloopers" and down-right ignoring of established "rules" in later episodes, go to the mistakes section on IDoJ: The Web Page at http://www.geocities.com/carpet65/jmistak.html You'd be surprised the things they let slip past them.

Wow!!! I went to that link. So many bloopers. I'll bet that still doesn't compare to the # of bloopers in the 80's sitcom "The Facts of Life."

Originally posted by FOL & DS fan 4ever:
Not necessarily. I've met some fair-skinnned people from both Iraq and Iran. From what I've heard, some of them were even born with blonde hair, although their hair got much darker later on in life.

My dad and my cousin are from Iran, and my cousin has fair skin and my dads dad, or my grandfather, had blue eyes. Which is very rare, I think.

Originally posted by fol and gi rock:
My dad and my cousin are from Iran, and my cousin has fair skin and my dads dad, or my grandfather, had blue eyes. Which is very rare, I think.

Interesting!

Hey.....you're a big fan of 2 of my fav shows too- FOL and GI (does GI stand for "Gilligan's Island?"). Our usernames speak for themselves.



[This message has been edited by FOL & DS fan 4ever (edited 10-04-2001).]

The only way that someone from Iraq (Mesopotamia) can be born with fair skin is if they are of mixed lineage, which many of them are now.

Certainly Jeannie being more than a thousand years old from that region would not have had fair skin features. Instead it would be more likely that she would have had dark brown skin, dark hair etc.

But the original people from that region was much darker than they are now. Some were even as dark as the people of India and Africa. But most had skin color of olive to dark brown.

Mesopotamia used to be an area inhabited by the Ethiopians, prior to 2300 BCE. The Sumarians were the people who inhabited Babylon.

And one major thing no one seems to be including in all of this is the fact that Jeannie is a djinni (genie.) She may have been born with Arabic features (for all we know) and either changed into what she is now, or when she was changed into a djinni, that is the look she got. If you feel she was born a djinni, then, looking at the rather European features of the rest of her family causes me to think that her current looks are not a problem.

And, then from a practical angle, how many American viewers of the time would have accepted a woman of Middle Eastern origin in the title role, even though she should have been that way, considering the origins of the story/legend.

I just feel it's too bad the special effects of the time didn't allow her to change into other mythological creatures (or change Tony or Roger for that matter) such as a mermaid or centaur ;)

Considering that there was so much focus on mythological creatures in the 60's, I think it would have been interesing if there was a sitcom about a mermaid. Then again, I don't know how long that would've lasted; I mean- how many scripts can they come up with about a mermaid? Half the stories would have to take place near or under the sea, and that would be boring.

Of course, Barbara Eden probably would have done a good job playing as a mermaid if there was just one ep where she did make that transformation, so I agree with you, djinnitaur.

(BTW, I am formerly "FOL & DS fan 4ever").

Paula, that actually would have been interesting. Look at the movie Splash, that was a very interesting concept.

Originally posted by Tiger32
Paula, that actually would have been interesting. Look at the movie Splash, that was a very interesting concept.

True. I do love that movie. But that was just one movie. How many scripts can they come up with about a mermaid story? Well, I suppose they did have a lot of creative people back then, and they could have come up with some hilarious scripts, just like we've seen in "I dream of Jeannie."

Gilligan's Island lasted for 3 years, so why not a mermaid story? Hey- come to think of it- that would've been cool if Gilligan had run into a mermaid!