How many Jeannie fans dislike Bewitched?

[Fallon97]

Originally Posted by treky

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.

[cat899]

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.