I am one of those. I like Jeannie but I could never get into Bewitched. I was never an Elizabeth Montgomery fan and I didn't care much for any of the other people in that show. I think the people involved with Bewitched were taking themselves and the show way too seriously. Paul Lynde though was usually good for a few laughs. I've always been amazed that Bewitched lasted for eight seasons and over 250 episodes! No way do I think it deserved to last that long. Unreal. As it is, I prefer Jeannie. Barbara Eden is beautiful and the show is funny, although a few episodes are clunkers.

I find Bewitched very boring.Elisabeth had charm and was very talented but,she never made me laugh.Barbara was so funny,beautiful and she did a wonderful job in the main role.

I love I Dream of Jeannie,I never miss an episode.All the characters are so funny and lovable.My favorite characters are Jeannie of course,Roger Hayley and Dr.Bellows :lol:

I think I read somewhere (maybe it was on here) that Liz Montgomery didn't like IDOJ. She thought it was just a copy of BEWITCHED, or something like that.
I know the 2 shows filmed just down the hall from one another.

There WERE a lot of similarities between BW and IDOJ - you can either go to our site or to Harpie's Bizarre site and find a comparison file. It was said that Bill Asher did NOT want any of the same people working for both shows. Jim Henerson started as a writer on BW - the story goes that he had a late night writing session for BW and accidentally typed, "Samantha blinks." Bill Asher found out that Jim was writing for both shows, and promptly fired him from the BW set.

Funny, but Bill Asher went on to direct one of the IDOJ reunion movies. I'm not sure if he was married to Liz Montgomery at the time or not.

That said - I was a kid when both IDOJ and BW were prime time. I used to watch both whenever I could. At that time, I liked them for different reasons. Even then I could feel the romance between Jeannie and Tony, and I liked Roger Healey - so I watched IDOJ. I liked BW because I loved Tabitha. Now, as an adult, I much prefer IDOJ - same reason, that romance between Tony and Jeannie, and I love Roger Healey. I've tuned into BW when TV Land was running it, but just never could get back into it the way I could with IDOJ.

^ Donna, EM and Bill Asher were long divorced when he directed the IDOJ reunion flick - about 10 or 12 years. Hope that helps. :)

Well, this is a very interesting thread...
I, personally, enjoy both of the shows.
I also find them alike in some ways, but also very different in others.
But, I'll watch any show of the 60's.
they were the best! (however bizarre.... telivision just got to serious afterwards!)

....at the time Bill Asher directed "I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later", he was happily married to Joyce Bulifant, having divorced Elizabeth by 1974.

I believe that's also why certain guest supporting players were not credited on early episodes of "I DREAM OF JEANNIE" during the first two seasons; Chet Stratton {"Djinn and Water"}, Herbie Faye {"Is There An Extra Genie In the House?"}, Maurice Dallimore {"My Master, the Rich Tycoon"} and Milton Frome {"My Incredible Shrinking Master"} were prevented from receiving screen credit in those episodes because they also happened to appear on "BEWITCHED" during the same period. Perhaps Bill Asher warned Sidney Sheldon NOT to give them screen credit, who knows? But, in the interim after Barbara returned to film the series after her pregnancy, and just before Sidney began writing the show himself {October-December 1965}, the production crew was the same one used on "BEWITCHED"; Sidney "borrowed" them for a few episodes until he could form his own "unit" [William Martin, Lothrop Worth, Tom McCrory, etc.], and Asher didn't seem to mind.....

Personally, I don't hate "BEWITCHED"- it would be like hating two similar flavors of ice cream from two different sources...the only difference is in the "execution". I enjoy both!

:tv:

Although I like IDOJ more, I still liked Bewitched. The Dick York episodes are classics. :D

Although I like IDOJ more, I still liked Bewitched. The Dick York episodes are classics. :D
:yeahthat They are classics and always will be.

I'm a fan of both shows also.

These were really pretty much the same show, with Dr Bellows substituting for Gladys Kravitz. The main difference would be that the in-law problems werent as important to the plot in IDoJ. When I was a kid, i think id have to say i prefered IDoJ to Bewitched, but, now, if i have a preference, it would be Bewitched just for Dick York, who's Darrin may have been one of the most complex characters ever, in a basically non-complex show. (Is it any wonder I cant BEAR to watch the later seasons with Dick Sargent?)

I am a fan of both. ;) The funny thing is though, I used to watch Bewitched all the time when it was on Nick at Nite and TV Land when I had cable and never gave a second thought to I Dream of Jeannie. But, when a station out of Oklahoma started airing the show on regular TV by way of a transmitter, I got into I Dream of Jeannie.
The funny thing is I like I Dream of Jeannie more even though I saw Bewitched first. They are both very enjoyable shows and both classics. There will never be two shows like them ever again. :(
There is just something about I Dream of Jeannie that makes me like it more, I can't put my finger on it. But, I love Bewitched, too! :D
Barbara Eden will always be my favorite genie and Elizabeth Montgomery will always be my favorite witch! LOL! :lol:
I Dream of Jeannie has something that Bewitched doesn't have, three surviving main cast members, I think that makes it more special; at least it does for me. :)

I like both shows, they're still fun to watch and are much better than the garbage that's on for sitcoms currently.

Sandra Gould and Paul Lynde both appeared on I Dream of Jeannie before making their appearances on Bewitched.

I too, find that meeting the surviving cast members of IDOJ has made the show a lot more interesting to me. I'm one of the lucky few who has also met Sidney Sheldon, back in 2004. At the same time, yes, I've met Bernard Fox and Erin Murphy (two survivors from the cast of BW). Admittedly I wanted to meet Bernard Fox because of his little guest star role on IDOJ (episode 18), and Erin Murphy just happened to be sitting at the booth next to him. My friend wanted to meet her, and I was along to be photographer.

Don't forget to send Bill Daily a birthday card ASAP - the address is in the 80th Birthday thread, first post. Bill was in a first season BW as a guest - he played the adoptive father in the Visions of Sugar Plums BW episode, that replayed in the second season of BW. That's probably one of the "bigger" coincidences between the two shows.

I liked both but never cared for Bewitched after Dick York left. There was just no chemistry between Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick Sargent. That being said, I liked I Dream of Jeannie better than Bewitched for several reasons.

The first is that the supporting characters on Jeannie were much more interesting in that Roger and Dr. Bellows were much funnier than Larry on Bewitched. Just think of how many crazy things Roger and Dr. Bellows did and they make Larry look rather mild and boring. My favorite supporting character on Bewitched was Aunt Clara, hands down.

Second: Jeannie never seemed to get stale like Bewitched did, but then again it only ran five seasons instead of eight. Bewitched really should have ended when Dick York left.
I think more exciting plots could be done with the fact that Jeannie had to hide from most people that Tony knew, where as Samantha simply could not let it be known she was a witch. She was always around everyone Darrin knew though. I really do think Jeannie lost some of its pizazz when they got married, because much of the fun was in trying to hide Jeannie from everybody. After they married it became more of a Bewitched type show and wisely they ended it after five seasons.

Third: As for Jeannie's sister versus cousin Serena: Jeannie wins hands down. Sister Jeannie is a ruthless cunning wicked girl who will stop at nothing to have Tony including kidnapping, exile, torture, and throwing a wrench in the space program. Serena just liked to play pranks on people for the most part.

Also, being an astronaut (especially in the mid 1960s) was much more interesting than working for an advertising agency. Just my two cents worth.

I grew up watching both shows but didn't really appreciate Jeannie until high school. Now I definitely prefer it! Mostly because I'm crazy about physical comedy!:lol:

But I also dislike the anti-human spin the writers put into Bewitched. The witches are very haughty. It seems rather mean spirited to continually make trouble for a person who can't fight back.

Jeannie has a great sense of fun that I can't resist!

IDOJ had its funny aspects, but I'm definitely a hard-core Bewitched fan. And since I really like Barbrara Eden, all of you have given me pause to think why I like Bewitched so much more. Jeannie was definitely more charismatic than Sam, but what IDOJ lacked, that Bewitched had, was an amazing supporting cast--Marion Lorne as the eternally edearing, yet equally bumbling Aunt Clara; Paul Lynde as Uncle Arthur, and the fine Agnes Moorehead as the haughty and proud Endora. And of course Alice Pierce and Sandra Gould as the two Gladys Kravitzes. IDOJ, had decent supporting actors to be sure, but they didn't sparkle like those in Bewitched. I also thought the photographic effects were better in Bewitched, even though I know there may be many who would disagree.

However, with this being said, I've always thought Barbara Eden was a very unappreciated and underutilized talent, and AN EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL WOMAN. I also thought she was FABU in Harper Valley PTA, and made that show sizzle. It's just that Miss Eden can't carry the bulk of a show alone; and neither could Elizabeth Montomery for that matter, it's just that EM wasn't put in that position. Only an actress of Bette Davis's calibre could pull off a feat like that.

Also likewow raised an interesting and perceptive point abt Bewitched. I never thought of the underlying bigotry but YES it was there on both sides. Some of the witches could indeed be haughty but by the same token, Darrin was no saint either. I always thought Endora was amazingly tolerant of Darrin--compare her to Maurice.

Thank you all. I know we can be passionate about our favorite shows, and some devotees can take umbrage at criticisms on the shows they love; I am not of that ilk. What you have done is make me REALLY THINK ABOUT WHY I PREFER Betwiched, you've raised my consciousness and I thank you for it.

And even though I like IDOJ but LOVE Bewitched, I can appreciate why others have the reverse opinion.

As I said before, I think Bewitched took itself much too seriously. I Dream Of Jeannie is pure fantasy fun. The problem with it is they started going crazy and nonsensical with the episodes starting with the third season. IDOJ rivals THE MONKEES for 1960's sitcom mayhem and nonsense, but they did have a lot of fun doing it. I prefer IDOJ because of the lovely Barbara Eden and I like the supporting cast of characters better as well. The 4th season is available now. Like season 3 it has it's share of crazy episodes, but I think season 4 is a little better overall than season 3.

Lee, IDOJ rivaling the Monkees is a interesting observation. Now that you mention it, I think so too. And of course, IDOJ is fun, and IMO, Barbara deserves the lion's share of the credit for that. I also think Bewitched tried to inject an undercurrent of seriousness, but I don't consider that a negative. However, we all have our own take on things and I can appreciate why others could.

I think one of these days I'm going to check the first four seasons of IDOJ out of the library, so I can post a more well-rounded opinion. I haven't seen Jeannie NEARLY as much as I've seen Bewitched (and I OWN the first five seasons of that show on DVD). So, when I do watch the episodes, I'll let everyone know!! :D

I think one of these days I'm going to check the first four seasons of IDOJ out of the library, so I can post a more well-rounded opinion. I haven't seen Jeannie NEARLY as much as I've seen Bewitched (and I OWN the first five seasons of that show on DVD). So, when I do watch the episodes, I'll let everyone know!! :D


Even though I was 11-12 when IDOJ came on originally, I remember IDOJ vividly as I lived in FLA at the time. And of course have seen it thru the yrs on syndication & borrowed it from the library. I bet you'll enjoy it. And as I have said earlier, while Bewitched is my clear preference, IDOJ is a fun show, definitely worth watching and quite entertaining.

I believe The Monkees preceded IDOJ in 1966 and 1967 then for the fall of 1968 (I think) it moved to 7:30pm which was the slot occupied by The Monkees.

I like both shows. Two entertaining beautiful blondes, whats not to like?
Absolutely. What a great way to put it! :thumbsup:

I liked both shows equally, both shows made mistakes. Bewitched replacing Dick York and IDOJ went down when Jeannie married Tony.

I have to say I love both, but I think I always loved I Dream of Jeannie just a bit more than Bewitched, although they are both classics in my book, and both the late Elizabeth Montgomery and Barbara Eden were truly wonderful in their roles...

I am an ardent IDOJ fan and never really got into Bewitched that much. I wouldn't say I dislike Bewitched per se, but I definitely do not find it nearly as enjoyable as I find Jeannie to be. I always feel that the sense of sexism was much more overt in most Bewitched episodes than in most IDOJ episodes, and for me that was a major turn-off regarding Bewitched.

...what I dislike is what Al Hine {writing as "Dennis Brewster"} did to Jeannie in his 1966 original paperback novel based on the show [Pocket Books]. He originally wrote a novelization of "BEWITCHED" for Dell in 1965 under his own name, using seven first season scripts, but he literally depended on the scripts and his own imagination to tie them together...and it was somewhat enjoyable in print- but he took SOME liberties with the characters and situations {"Dobson" is Samantha's family name? "John Dobson" is her deceased father, burned at the stake at York in 1538??? HORRORS!!!}. With "JEANNIE", he practically rewrote everything that made it so memorable on TV, and practically turned it into a "BEWITCHED" clone, complete with Jeannie's mother and sister [the "baby sister" she mentioned from time to time in early episodes] eventually living right next door to Tony's house! Obiovusly, Hine {"Brewster"} never saw any of the TV episodes, and depended on network publicity releases to "frame" the story. Example: one of the early publicity stories mentioned that "Jeannie travels in her familiar smoke swirl"- and "Brewster" accepted that as fact. She NEVER "blinks out" and vanishes once in the entire story without becoming smoke...and she lives in her bottle {or "vase" and "jug", as he variously described it during the entire novel, never settling on what HE thinks it really was} AS smoke! Another example: "Dr. Bellows" is always referred to as "Colonel Bellows"; NEVER is he identified otherwise! Early in the book, Jeannie starts calling Tony by HIS name, more than "Master"- "Brewster" ultimately "liberates" her {he even has Jeannie's mother refer to Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" as a book she's read} and makes her more of a "mortal" by the book's conclusion. And ulimately, it becomes less Tony and Jeannie's story as it becomes HERS....and the ending....that's why there was never a follow-up. I'm certainly glad most of YOU have never read that!!!

:lookaroun

If Samantha and Jeannie dislike each other, shouldn't they get into some sort of catfight?

Sandra Gould and Paul Lynde both appeared on I Dream of Jeannie before making their appearances on Bewitched.

It is impossible for Paul Lynde to have appeared on IDoJ first, as he made a first season appearance on Bewitched as driving instructor "Harold Harold" before IDoJ was even on the air. He also made his first appearance as Uncle Arthur in the second season in the early fall ("The Joker Is a Card", original airdate 10/14/1965), and I do not recall seeing him on IDoJ until the second season, when he played an IRS agent.

I love Jeannie, and like Bewitched. It used to be vice versa, but after watching Jeannie and Bewitched over on DVD, my favorite is definately IDOJ. Bewitched is still a great show, though.

I like both and don't find them so similar that I have to compare them; they are both great shows with different characters and storylines.

It is impossible for Paul Lynde to have appeared on IDoJ first, as he made a first season appearance on Bewitched as driving instructor "Harold Harold" before IDoJ was even on the air. He also made his first appearance as Uncle Arthur in the second season in the early fall ("The Joker Is a Card", original airdate 10/14/1965), and I do not recall seeing him on IDoJ until the second season, when he played an IRS agent.


Sorry, I meant to say that Dick Sargent appeared on "I Dream Of Jeannie" before he replaced Dick York on "Bewitched". Dick appeared on the fourth season of 'IDOJ'.

Man....anyone who had a problem with these two shows being so similar should see what happened in the 90s.


Anyway, I can watch Bewitched, but I find it kind of boring. And I have never been able to stand Darrin not letting Sam use her magic. I thought Sam was too much of a meek 50s housewife in that regard. I liked Jeannie because she did what she wanted. Got her in trouble a lot...but she was still independent.

Man....anyone who had a problem with these two shows being so similar should see what happened in the 90s.


Anyway, I can watch Bewitched, but I find it kind of boring. And I have never been able to stand Darrin not letting Sam use her magic. I thought Sam was too much of a meek 50s housewife in that regard. I liked Jeannie because she did what she wanted. Got her in trouble a lot...but she was still independent.

While I NEVER find Bewitched boring, as IMO the trick photography and supporting characters on B were just fantastic, I totally agree with you that Darrin was kind of a drip about the magic. Jeannie was definitely more feisty, a real big plus on the show. In terms of trouble, both styles got both gals into lots of hot stuff.

IDOJ is fun Barbara is stunningly beautiful and superb in the role--she deserves most of the credit for the show's fine qualities.

I liked both but never cared for Bewitched after Dick York left. There was just no chemistry between Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick Sargent.

This perfectly describes exactly how I feel. Thanks storrs19. :D :wave:

I would also add that I feel Jeannie was a better character than Samantha. I sometimes sense an obnoxious air about Samantha but then again that's probably just Montgomery's own personality seeping through.

I've always been a fan of both shows. The only "gimmick" that kind of bugs
me is that both key characters have identical twin sisters with opposite
personalities. One is good, the other bad. To me, that just seemed like a
device to give the stars, Elizabeth Montgomery and Barbara Eden, more screen time (and an opportunity to play a different character). It just seems
too much of a coincidence (given the other similarities between the two shows). Other than that, I still find both shows entertaining on different
levels. BEWITCHED was about a married couple from the very start. JEANNIE
was about her pursuit of Tony (until she finally hooked him). As someone else
said, once Jeannie and Tony became a wedded couple, the show went downhill. BEWITCHED lost much of its appeal when it lost Dick York. I just
never felt there was much real chemistry between Liz and Dick Sargent.

Man....anyone who had a problem with these two shows being so similar should see what happened in the 90s.


Anyway, I can watch Bewitched, but I find it kind of boring. And I have never been able to stand Darrin not letting Sam use her magic. I thought Sam was too much of a meek 50s housewife in that regard. I liked Jeannie because she did what she wanted. Got her in trouble a lot...but she was still independent.

Exactly. I like Bewitched, but I think that was sort of selfish of Darrin. I mean, it was rude to try to make her stop that - it was natural, the way she was born.

Exactly. I like Bewitched, but I think that was sort of selfish of Darrin. I mean, it was rude to try to make her stop that - it was natural, the way she was born.
And it wasn't like she was a total fish out of water like Jeannie; Samantha knew the world around her and how to act "normal." Darrin would have DIED if he'd gotten Jeannie instead!

And it wasn't like she was a total fish out of water like Jeannie; Samantha knew the world around her and how to act "normal." Darrin would have DIED if he'd gotten Jeannie instead!
:eek: Can you even IMAGINE Darrin and Jeannie together?? They'd be the worst couple ever!!

:eek: Can you even IMAGINE Darrin and Jeannie together?? They'd be the worst couple ever!!
Not good. :lol:

If I were still writing fan fiction, that would be a great plot....Darrin gets Jeannie and Tony ends up with Samantha....

But I've had absolutely no time to write fan fiction lately....

Welcome back Donna! :wave: It's always fun reading your posts.

Do you think Tony would get along better with Endora than Darrin? How do you think Tony would handle Mrs. Kravitz and Tabitha? :lol:

lol....that would be a good fanfic.

I think Darrin would get along well with Roger, but how would he handle Dr. Bellows?? :crazy: Boggles the mind, doesn't it? :lol:

I think I have a greater appreciation of IDOJ now than I did as a kid. I remember watching the reruns and liking Bewitched more because I thought Samantha Stephens was nicer because she tried to live the way Darren wanted her to. Now as an adult, I like Jeannie's independent streak. I like that if Tony ticks her off she can put him on top of a mountain. Jeannie makes things happen. Most of the time Samantha is reacting to things that have happened to her.

I can't imagine my life without either shows. Love 'em both!

I think I have a greater appreciation of IDOJ now than I did as a kid. I remember watching the reruns and liking Bewitched more because I thought Samantha Stephens was nicer because she tried to live the way Darren wanted her to. Now as an adult, I like Jeannie's independent streak. I like that if Tony ticks her off she can put him on top of a mountain. Jeannie makes things happen. Most of the time Samantha is reacting to things that have happened to her.

I can't imagine my life without either shows. Love 'em both!

Yes, both are fine shows. And, its hard for me to imagine liking one and not the other. As I've said before, it was the supporting cast of Bewitched & the wonderful trick photography that have me enraptured of B. But IDOJ is great fun, and if you're a Barbara Eden fan, which I am, what's not to like.

What it really comes down to here, on this thread, is agreeing to disagree. Active participants on SO clearly love their shows, and many times it can boil down our subjective takes on things;.

Once Jeannie got rolling (2nd season) it was no contest. Jeannie was a funny show in a way that the more mature Bewitched could never be. Bewitched could be a bit on the self-righteous side, which I always found a little odd considering Darrin was an advertising executive. Jeannie went for laughs and was far more entertaining. The Jeannie cast was top shelf there were many different combinations you could work for laughs, Bewitched, Dick York did most of the heavy lifting. Look at how unfunny Bewitched became after York left, and speaking of that, someone has to answer for the Dick Sargent casting fiasco.

I have the impression Bewitched is more of a woman's show, and Jeannie which leaned more on physical humor was more of a man's show.

Once Jeannie got rolling (2nd season) it was no contest. Jeannie was a funny show in a way that the more mature Bewitched could never be. Bewitched could be a bit on the self-righteous side, which I always found a little odd considering Darrin was an advertising executive. Jeannie went for laughs and was far more entertaining. The Jeannie cast was top shelf there were many different combinations you could work for laughs, Bewitched, Dick York did most of the heavy lifting. Look at how unfunny Bewitched became after York left, and speaking of that, someone has to answer for the Dick Sargent casting fiasco.

I have the impression Bewitched is more of a woman's show, and Jeannie which leaned more on physical humor was more of a man's show.

Interesting observations there. Since I began this thread, I've learned to appreciate Bewitched as well. In some ways, Bewitched is actually better than Jeannie. The show generally maintained a level of sophistication, and overall I think it had better writing than Jeannie did. The first two seasons of Jeannie had good writing in the episodes for the most part, but starting with season three they often went over the top with crazy visual gags and silly situations. Some later episodes of Jeannie are silly to the point where they could just as easily be animated cartoons, the show compares to The Monkees in that regard. Jeannie is definitely the more energetic show, while Bewitched is more mature, tending to play it safe and stick with the formula. But I'll still give a nod of approval to Jeannie, I like the supporting characters a little better and Barbara Eden always looks lovely in her Jeannie outfit!

I loved both, and when people say they are too alike, I don't agree. I think they're different, and fantastic in their own ways. And I love Elizabeth and Barbara; thats how I got my username. Elizabeth (Elizabeth Montgomery) and Eden (Barbara Eden) ;)

I love BOTH shows for different reasons. The only thing that bugs me with all due respect is what William Asher said about, "They stold story ideas from us." He then went on to say how upset it made Liz. First of all, this was said years after Liz passed away. Personally I don't think it's fair to be saying what she thought or didn't think when she's not here to speak for herself. Also, Barbara has said that after Liz had her 1st baby (they both were pregnant during part of the 1st season of their shows - and Liz again during the 2nd season) that she kindly gave Barbara some maternity clothes...she slao said they used to talk a lot in between filming). Perhaps Liz was irritated with Sidney as I have heard but who knows? Though, back to William Asher - when he stated that Jeannie"stold scripts" on the E! True Hollywood Story on I Dream of Jeannie, they quickly showed a clip of COUSIN Serena and Jeannie's sister Jeannie. I write cousin in all caps because E! True Hollywood didn't mention a fewthings. First, before either show was written Sidney Sheldon wrote most all of the scripts for "The Patty Duke Show," a series about a teenage girl an her....IDENTICAL COUSIN. Interestingly enough William Asher worked some on that show with Sheldon as Sheldon wrote most all of the episodes!!!! So, one could make the case that he took the idea of Serena being an "identical brunette cousin" from Patty Duke. Also, BOTH shows have several episodes that "copy" each other. Did they truly copy or was some of it sheer coincidence? Who knows?. On the side of "Bewitched" "taking" from "I Dream of Jeannie" (or appearing to take however one wants to look at it), a few examples are Jeannie's "What House Across the Street?" in which Jeannie blinks a house across the street on a vacant lot in comparison to an episode a year later on "Bewitched" in which Endora pops a house across the street on....a vacant lot - even the same house was used in both episodes! Another example is Jeannie's "My Master, the Great Rembrandt" in which Jeannie changes Tony's painting up for auction for an Air Foce charity event to an original Rembrandt and experts bid in the thousands for his painting. A few years later Endora ahcnges Samantha's charity painting up for auction to a famous French artist and Darrin's client bids $1,000 and over for it in season three's "Art For Sam's Sake." The list like this goes on and on and THE LIST ON BOTH SIDES ARE COMPARABLE. In addition, while Screen Gems asked Sidney Sheldon to write something for NBC to compare with "Bewitched" which was hugely successful and put ABC on the map, it was NOT a "rip off" of "Bewitched." Just as "Bewitched" was inspired by Columbia Pictures (who also owns "Bewitched" and "I Dream of Jeannie") films such as "Bell, Book, and Candle" and "I Married A Witch," according to creator Sidney Sheldon "I Dream of Jeannie" was inspired by the feature film "The Brass Bottle" starring Berle Ives (who played a male genie), Tony Randall, and Barbara Eden. I point all of this out only because I don't think it's fair on either side to say that one copied from another. They were both Screen Gems series with some of the same writers, etc. which could explain some of it while some of it could be sheer coincidence. I only wish William Asher had thought more before he spoke. Also, since he obviously felt that way I don't see why he was so willing to work on the TV movie "I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later"???? Both are classics in their on right and I'm simply glad we have them both to enjoy:)!!!

Another reason I prefer Jeannie is there was hardly any tension on the show. By that I mean the characters liked each other and had fun. On Bewitched almost all Samantha's relatives disliked Darrin and vice versa. So many plots centered on someone doing something rotten to someone else. There was a lot of friction on that show :(

The plots on Jeannie usually stemmed from an innocent mistake on Jeannie's part, not an act of malice. Also, the Jeannie writers wisely didn't make Dr. Bellows mean or insufferable. He had a lot of charm and clearly didn't dislike Tony or Roger. This made for a much more lighthearted show :lol:

I love both shows. Jeannie and Bewitched are my two favorite comedies and I have one season of both on DVD.

I liked both shows.

Sam was a homemaker who wasn't ditzy. Although she was a beautiful woman, she used her brains more than her beauty. At a time when women's rights movements were the center of attention, this was important.

Jeannie had a master. This did have sexual overtones that were played down. However, at a time when the sexual revolution was going on, this was very popular.

I enjoy both shows.

I like the comment about Bewitched being more of a woman's show and IDOJ a man's.

Darrin seemed so helpless sometimes against the witches, especially Endora and Serena. I wished that he got back at them sometimes.

While Jeannie was "only here to please you, master" !

^ That's a very insightful comment. Darrin was always the rescuee, not the rescuer. Samantha always was. :cool:

I see that this thread has resurrected itself - either Samantha twitched it out or Jeannie blinked! :-)

With the help of another experienced web person, Jeannie Sisters attempted to resurrect IDOJ: The Website's old BW vs IDOJ page. Unfortunately, the Internet archives had only tiny bits and pieces of it. Those are on one of my other computers, hoping that some day I might have time to reconstruct the old file (giving Carpet/Carrie complete credit, of COURSE!).

In the meantime - if anyone's interested - we do have her old "Deja Vu!" file (that contains some comparisons between BW and IDOJ) and one of her fan-fiction stories (a crossover between BW and IDOJ).

^ Awesome, Donna. Thanks! :cool:

That sure is an impressive list of coincidences between the 2 shows !

Man....anyone who had a problem with these two shows being so similar should see what happened in the 90s.


Anyway, I can watch Bewitched, but I find it kind of boring. And I have never been able to stand Darrin not letting Sam use her magic. I thought Sam was too much of a meek 50s housewife in that regard. I liked Jeannie because she did what she wanted. Got her in trouble a lot...but she was still independent.

I agree with you, and Sam did act too much like a meek 50s housewife. Whereas Jeannie was stubborn, sassy, fiesty, strong-willed, daring, mischieveous, independent, did her own thing and just plain spunky and fun. Also, Jeannie just seemed more magical, charming, charismatic, mysterious, and interesting as well.

And boy did Jeannie have a temper.....that temper often intimidated Major Nelson. Jeannie didn't take crap from anyone. And she was always doing things to Major Nelson, even if he didn't like it. Jeannie was definitely in charge in that relationship and got the last word.

She would blink Major Nelson in her bottle. She would put him in prison to keep him from leaving the house. And she always did something, even if Major Nelson told her not to. I remember an episode where she changed Major Healy into a poodle and Major Nelson begged her to change Major Healy back, but she WOULD NOT! Jeannie rarely listened to Major Nelson, and she always had the upper hand with him. The other day Major Nelson the so-called "Master" had to meekly ask Jeannie if it was ok if he went out. No way was Jeannie "subservient." Jeannie was fiesty, independent, sassy, mischieveous and very rebellious. Jeannie is the one that had the final say, and, unlike Samantha, she does NOT have to go behind Major Nelson's back. She always did things right in front of him, whether he agreed or not.

However, Samantha was more easygoing and a YES woman to Darrin. She always pleased him and did whatever he said. That's why she had to go behind Darrin's back. She even would look somewhat scared and nervous of Darrin's reactions when he learned of one of her relatives antics. Samantha was far more meeker than Jeannie. Jeannie was more headstrong, stubborn, and strong-willed. For example, the other day when Samantha was explaining to Darrin about Mother Goose being turned into a real-life person, she nervously said to Darrin "How long are you gonna let me keep talking before you kill me?"

Darrin often would yell and scream at Sam and demand "No more magic" and Samantha would meekly and sheepishly agree. Samantha did not have spunk like Jeannie did. I LOVED Jeannie's spunk!

I enjoy both shows.

I like the comment about Bewitched being more of a woman's show and IDOJ a man's.

Darrin seemed so helpless sometimes against the witches, especially Endora and Serena. I wished that he got back at them sometimes.

While Jeannie was "only here to please you, master" !

Actually, in my opinion, Jeannie didn't seem to be there to "only please her master." Jeannie did her own thing, and rarely listened to Major Nelson. She basically had him wrapped around her bottle. lol

I think I read somewhere (maybe it was on here) that Liz Montgomery didn't like IDOJ. She thought it was just a copy of BEWITCHED, or something like that.
I know the 2 shows filmed just down the hall from one another.

I heard that, too......but I never thought of "I Dream of Jeannie" as a copycat.

Jeannie was inspired and based on the movie "The Brass Bottle." This movie came out a year before "I Dream of Jeannie." I read that Sidney Sheldon came up with the "I Dream of Jeannie" series because of this movie. Barbara Eden even starred in the movie.

Bewitched was inspired by the movies "I Married a Witch" and "Bell Book and Candle." I find it interesting that Jeannie is thought of as a copycat of Bewitched when Bewitched isn't exactly original and unique and was a "copycat" of those movies, and even the Patty Duke Show (the twin cousins thing, Serena/Samantha).

Also, I've always thought of Genies as being more magical than witches or being more powerful and able to grant wishes, so I don't see why Jeannie who is a magical Genie (as most Genies are magical and grant wishes) is dogged as being a "copycat" of Bewitched when there was also a movie (the Brass Bottle) that came out a year before I Dream of Jeannie that is a about a magical Genie causing mischief. (Sound familiar?). It's very possible that Sidney Sheldon was inspired by the movie, so, therefore, it is not a copycat of Bewitched. The movie was out before Bewitched aired.

Besides, there are many differences.

Jeannie is a Genie.
Major Nelson rescued Jeannie from a bottle.
She's not married, but has an adorable crush on Major Nelson.
She has a "master," and I use that term loosely.
She lives in a bottle.
She is hidden from others, except Major Healy.
Major Nelson is more charming and calm, and more supportive of Jeannie's magic.
Major Nelson has a best friend (Major Healy).
Major Nelson is an Astronaut.
Major Nelson does not have a nosy neighbor, but a nosy co-worker/superior.
Jeannie is naive, innocent, sassy, fun, stubborn, and vivacious.
Jeannie doesn't have relatives popping in all the time.
Jeannie and Major Nelson have a friendship and a budding romance.
There are no kids.
Stories revolve around Major Nelson dating women, since he and Jeannie are not married.

Major Healy knows about Jeannie, and there are often storylines of his jealousy and trying to get Jeannie.

Plus, the atmosphere and vibe of the show is different. I Dream of Jeannie is more energetic, quirky, and fun.

These differences make the two shows totally different, in my opinion. Now, if Jeannie was a meek married witch -- who did not live in a bottle -- with numerous relatives dropping by every day, with a meddling mother and a nosy neighbor, and Major Nelson as her husband was in the advertising business with an older boss/friend (who doesn't know about Jeannie) and always cranky, overly uptight, and hollering sternly about no magic and Jeannie sheepishly and meekly agreed and if the show was more subdued and if I never heard of Aladdin and the magical Genie, or if the movie The Brass Bottle hadn't of came out in 1964, right before I Dream of Jeannie, then I would think of it as a "copycat." However, that is not the premise of I Dream of Jeannie, and the movie The Brass Bottle did came out a year before Jeannie, so I can definitely see that being the inspiration for Jeannie, not Bewitched, since Bewitched is about a witch, not a Genie.

In that case, what about soap operas. I think As the World Turns is the first soap opera ever. Does that mean that General Hospital, All My Children, Days of Our Live, and the other soaps are "copycats?" I don't think so!

Are Good Times and The Jeffersons "copycats" of Sanford & Son just because Sanford & Son premiered a year earlier?

What about Batman, Spiderman, and Superman? Don't they all conceal their true identities from others? Don't they all have girlfriends? Superman had Lois Lane, and Spiderman and Batman had love interests as well, whom they hid their true identities from. Even Wonder Woman had a love interest and she tried to hide her identity as well. I guess the pattern is that all magical beings seem to want to hide their true identities from mortals. Are these superheros copycats of each other?

Or all the crime and cop shows of the 70s?

What about Bionic Woman and Wonder Woman?

Baretta, Starsky and Hutch, and Dan Tanna?

Or Xena and Buffy?

What about all the countless vampire/dracula movies and shows that have been on television?

My point is....NO. I don't think of these shows/movies as copycats of the other. And if there are.....well, I'm glad they "copycatted" because if they didn't we wouldn't have all these wonderful shows to watch. So, apparently, a lot of shows are "copycats" of other movies or shows including BEWITCHED.

Even if Jeannie is a so-called copycat, the show obviously has enough differences to make the show different and unique. I know many people who love Jeannie, but they dislike Bewitched. So just because Bewitched is the "original" doesn't mean that Jeannie has no right to exist. There are plenty who feel that Bewitched is just ok (or even boring) and just doesn't grab their attentions, but the "copycat" Jeannie does grab their attention, and they find the show and the characters a lot more interesting -- and love it!!!

Also, Genies are magical and, naturally, a series about Genies would deal with magic, and like in the movie "The Brass Bottle" the "master" would want to keep others from knowing about the magic just like in the series/show "I Dream of Jeannie." Jeannie is a "copycat" of the movie, not of Bewitched, in my opinion.

I like jeannie more then bewitched, but i alos like bewitched. I collect items from both show, BUT-i love lucy if my fav show.
I do AGREE that bewitched should never have lasted 8 seasons, but im happy it did.

I'd be more happy if it was the other way around, having 5 bewitched seasons & having 8 jeannie seasons, or i'd have 8 jeannie & bewitche seasons.

Does anybody know why jeannie was cancelled? im sure there are more jeannie fans then there are bewitched fans but somehow i never see more jeannie fans then bewitched fans online.

I want to thank all the cast from both jeannie & bewitched & lucy, each show had something special.
:)