Everybody knows there were different versions of the opening title sequence during the first season--the narrated live-action version which preceded early episodes, and the first cartoon version used the rest of that season. When the show went color in the fall of '66, the opening sequence was modified to include Tony's splashdown and new theme music...but the music that season didn't sound the same as what we're used to, it sounded like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNg-xClEnqM

...which is, of course, a variation of that season's closing theme. The next season was the one (and only one) whose episodes began with the theme scored the way we've heard all the color eps begin for the last 35 years. Again, if you think about it, you recognize the fact that the beginning and closing themes for the third season were essentially the same in arrangement.

Several things about this bother me. First of all, it alters history. It wasn't anything like the situation with I Love Lucy, where there simply wasn't an original sequence to use (because all the original openings had been more about the sponsor than the show) and something had to be created for the syndicated package. No, obviously somebody at Columbia Pictures decided to tack the third season opening onto all the color episodes because...? Because it's the arrangement that best fits the animation? Perhaps. And I realize that Screen Gems did even worse by Bewitched, dubbing the first season theme over the third season (color, 1966) credits and using that for every Dick York episode (incredibly including all black & white episodes as well--for those using a b&w print of the color opening!). But similar to Lucy, Bewitched tended to wrap its original openings around the sponsor's plug, so a complete stand-alone opening *might* not have existed for each season's episodes. The above clip proves the same is not true for I Dream Of Jeannie. The original could simply have been left alone.

It may be too much to hope that future DVD issues will restore the original openings, but I was excited when I found that clip and wanted to not only share it, but also bring this issue up so that anybody who had ever wondered--and I guess even those who had never wondered--could see and hear a genuine and very rare relic of TV history.

Unfortunately, I have yet to come across any trace of the funked-up opening used from 1968-70. Wouldn't you like to hear that one? I know I would!

the same with MASH. When the pilot episode's shown on TV, they replace the origanal opening with the opening from the rest of the episodes. I was so glad to see that original opening on the first season DVD of the pilot, as I hadn't seen it in YEARS.

....Sidney Sheldon wanted a different theme (and score) for season two, and got Hugo Montenegro to do it. However, because the second season title originally had a sponsor I.D. in it that led into the title itself ["The Colgate-Palmolive Company presents.."], Screen Gems/Columbia decided not to bother with "resurrecting it" for syndication in 1970, and used the season THREE title sequence, for "season two" episodes. Sheldon wanted a "fresh" version of the theme for season three opening and closing titles, and that was used in 1967-'68. Because of budget constraints, the third season title was also used during the last two seasons, with only a new orchestration of the theme under the closing credits for season four (and five). I've never heard or SEEN
a "new" version of the theme for those final seasons! I don't remember seeing it back then, either......

:tv:

Personally I don't see what the problem is with leaving the original opening and closing credits on a show. Big ****ing deal if if includes the original sponsor, who the hell cares? It's not like I am going to run out and buy a Chevrolet or change to Palmolive dish washing liquid because I saw their ads on a 40 year old show :rolleyes:

Interesting information, thanks for bringing it to our attention. I don't see it as that big a deal, it's the same song just a different arrangement. We do get to hear the other version of the song on the season two closing credits. They used the narrative opening credit for the first eight episodes of season one, then switched to the animated one starting with episode nine, THE MOVING FINGER.

On this subject, while watching episodes on the season three DVD's, I noticed that they used the same opening credit sequence for all the episodes. If you listen close, a note gets skipped every time and it always occurs in the same place. And the copyright year shown for the episodes is 1966, and this was the 1967-68 season. I believe Sony used that same opening credit sequence for all the season two DVD episodes also.

...was never changed after the second season, 'Lee'. The date was ALWAYS "MCMLXVI" (1966), because the title sequence was basically the same, and Screen Gems/Columbia never bothered to adjust it. The ONLY difference, as seen in the second season title, was shifting Sidney Sheldon's name from the opening to the closing credits. His "created by" credit was restored to the "third season" title...and that's the way it stayed.

NBC wanted Sidney Sheldon to explain up front to the viewers, in the early episodes, WHY Jeannie insisted on staying with "Master" [they were still uncomfortable about the arrangement, even though it WAS in a "fantasy" context]- hence, the extended "how it all began" opening title with Paul Frees as narrator, seen between episodes two through eight. After that, Sidney insisted on using the original animated title sequence again...and it was used, as you've said, for the rest of the season. By the way, his "created by" credit was used until the episode "Is There An Extra Jeannie In the House?" [1/22/66], at which point the "created and produced by" credit was shown at the beginning, for the rest of that first season. Sony/Columbia mixed in the later title when they syndicated most of those early episodes, primarily because the master animated title negatives within the first 17 episodes had a "Brought to you by..." tag Paul Frees announced in those episodes originally sponsored on alternate weeks by Liggett & Myers.
Sony/Columbia decided a "one title fits all" approach would be sufficient for syndication...and apparently, some of the DVD releases, as well.

:tv:

Thanks for the info. So what you are saying is the same opening credit was used for the last four seasons, and even the episodes from 1967 to 1970 all show a copyright year of 1966. (MCMLXVI) Not good at all. The least they could have done was change the copyright year whenever it was appropriate.

Was there a different one for 1968 - 70? I do know about the 2nd season but I thought the 2nd and 3rd were the only variations of the color episodes.

Too bad this 2nd season theme wasn't kept for the openings there. Also too bad that the IDoJ DVD set didn't have any of these sponsor billboards, though I once got a season 1 ep WoC, and I found it a bit disconcerting to see the show sponsored by a cigarette company, but such was the way of advertising pre-1971. I've always preferred the 2nd season theme to the later theme, since IMO the later theme was over-orchestrated w/ the countermelody. During part of that theme, it almost sounds as though the strings are being plucked by finger on the instruments.

I'm now all but entirely given over to being convinced that the 3rd season opening was used in seasons 4 and 5 of the original run, but it sure would be nice if an original network print with sponsor tag from the period of 1968-70 turned up to confirm this.

was indeed reused in seasons four and five; only Hugo Montenegro's orchestration of the theme in the closing credits was different in season four [and used again in season five]. I've seen a network print of "One Of Our Hotels Is Growing" (1970), with the "season three" title used...but no sponsor I.D., as the series had "participating sponsorship" from season three on {when Colgate-Palmolive dropped out as a "primary sponsor" after season two in 1967, no other advertisers were willing to sustain the show on alternate weeks, so "participating sponsors" bought one minute "spots" (usually three during each episode, each having their own "breaks"), as virtually all advertisers do on today's network programs, only there are more 15 and 30 second spots these days}. Rarely was a NBC staff announcer heard declaring "'I DREAM OF JEANNIE', brought to you tonight by..." after the opening credits between 1967 and '70.

:tv: