Would an "I Dream of Jeannie" Reboot Be Problematic? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 03-15-2021, 02:54 AM

Let's just say that you're a screenwriter and you're handed the task of creating a script for an I Dream of Jeannie movie. Would a reboot of any kind immediately be problematic? Let's be real hear, don't you think that the concept of woman (even one as powerful as Jeannie) obsessing over a man, calling him master, and such wouldn't be able to fly without scrutiny in today's cultural landscape?

Would there have to be changes such as instead of being a guy like Major Nelson, Jeannie's new "master" would be a woman or non-binary? Even more drastically, would both gender roles have to be flipped, with a male genie named Johnnie. Or would Jeannie have to be more powerful/independent and on par with Samantha Stephens on Bewitched or even the Genie from Aladdin?

To be fair, Barbara Eden has acknowledged the accusations that the show was just some sexist male fantasy. She told Al Roker on NBC's Today (and I'm paraphrasing), that the show was actually progressive because the woman at the end the day had all of the power.

Without getting to political, would the whole concept of a supremely powerful being is told to keep their abilities a secret and stay hidden not pass mustard nowadays? I recently came across a theory that those types of shows from the '60s such as IDOJ, Bewitched, My Favorite Martian, and Mister Ed seemed to be reflections of your average suburban white families opinions of the Civil Rights movement of the time. A whole don't make waves/hide in plain sight.

But as the decades marched on, this kind of thinking gave way to more of an opinion that people shouldn't hide their diversity to fit in, but respect and celebrate it. This is basically the prevailing line of thought that the bulk of society has today.

Arfies · 09-13-2021, 06:24 PM

Maybe, but they could just set it in the '60s. A show I wished had been on longer was "You Wish" (male genie to female mortal) on ABC's TGIF (copying off the success of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch"- ironic, eh?)

I know with "Bewitched," the civil rights allegory was intentional, particularly the early years when Danny Arnold was producing: https://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2006/03...ny-arnold.html

Dick York was Darrin · 10-10-2021, 09:54 AM

Today's Hollywood is not capable of producing a series like "I Dream of Jeannie" any longer because Hollywood not only rejects the concept of gender roles, but gender altogether. No way, no how could it produce anything resembling "I Dream of Jeannie" today.

03-15-2021, 02:54 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,453	Would an "I Dream of Jeannie" Reboot Be Problematic? Let's just say that you're a screenwriter and you're handed the task of creating a script for an I Dream of Jeannie movie. Would a reboot of any kind immediately be problematic? Let's be real hear, don't you think that the concept of woman (even one as powerful as Jeannie) obsessing over a man, calling him master, and such wouldn't be able to fly without scrutiny in today's cultural landscape? Would there have to be changes such as instead of being a guy like Major Nelson, Jeannie's new "master" would be a woman or non-binary? Even more drastically, would both gender roles have to be flipped, with a male genie named Johnnie. Or would Jeannie have to be more powerful/independent and on par with Samantha Stephens on Bewitched or even the Genie from Aladdin? To be fair, Barbara Eden has acknowledged the accusations that the show was just some sexist male fantasy. She told Al Roker on NBC's Today (and I'm paraphrasing), that the show was actually progressive because the woman at the end the day had all of the power. Without getting to political, would the whole concept of a supremely powerful being is told to keep their abilities a secret and stay hidden not pass mustard nowadays? I recently came across a theory that those types of shows from the '60s such as IDOJ, Bewitched, My Favorite Martian, and Mister Ed seemed to be reflections of your average suburban white families opinions of the Civil Rights movement of the time. A whole don't make waves/hide in plain sight. But as the decades marched on, this kind of thinking gave way to more of an opinion that people shouldn't hide their diversity to fit in, but respect and celebrate it. This is basically the prevailing line of thought that the bulk of society has today.

09-13-2021, 06:24 PM	#2
Arfies Memberific Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: There beneath the blue suburban skies, in summer, meanwhile back.... Posts: 481	Maybe, but they could just set it in the '60s. A show I wished had been on longer was "You Wish" (male genie to female mortal) on ABC's TGIF (copying off the success of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch"- ironic, eh?) I know with "Bewitched," the civil rights allegory was intentional, particularly the early years when Danny Arnold was producing: https://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2006/03...ny-arnold.html

10-10-2021, 09:54 AM	#3
Dick York was Darrin Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 06, 2021 Location: Virginia Posts: 99	Today's Hollywood is not capable of producing a series like "I Dream of Jeannie" any longer because Hollywood not only rejects the concept of gender roles, but gender altogether. No way, no how could it produce anything resembling "I Dream of Jeannie" today.