Barbara Eden, 94, starred on the legendary sitcom I Dream of Jeannie from 1965 until 1970. In a new interview, Eden is revealing her favorite episode of the beloved series.
Eden Gushes Over I Dream of Jeannie
Eden told People Magazine that her favorite episode of I Dream of Jeannie was “the pilot.”
“That definitely is the one I’ve always thought was the best,” Eden said while attending the Beverly Hills Film Festival on April 13.
The pilot of I Dream of Jeannie premiered on NBC on September 18, 1965. It depicted Captain Anthony Nelson after his NASA rocket Stardust One misfired and fell to Earth near a desert island in the South Pacific. Captain Nelson, who was portrayed by the late Larry Hagman, then stumbled across the bottle containing a 2,000-year-old genie, Jeannie, played by Eden.
Captain Nelson and Jeannie struggled to get over a language barrier. Once they overcame that, he asked her for a way to get off the island. Jeannie proceeded to summon a helicopter. However, Captain Nelson quickly realized how difficult it would be to explain Jeannie to the helicopter pilot. He also knew it would be tough to explain her to he woman he’s intended to marry, Melissa Stone, played by Karen Sharpe.
Hilarity ensues as Captain Nelson tries to show Melissa that he’s not cheating on her with Jeannie, his fellow astronauts that he hasn’t lost his mind, and Jeannie that he means well. The episode ends with Captain Nelson realizing that getting rid of Jeannie would not be easy.
Jeannie Is ‘Always There’ For Eden
I Dream Of Jeannie ran for five seasons from 1965 to 1970. Even over 55 years later, Eden looks back on it fondly, saying that Jeannie is “always there.” Indeed, reruns have kept the sitcom alive for decades.
“She’s always been on the air. Never been off,” Eden explained. “I have lots of mail from Russia, from China, from places you’d never imagine, all over Europe, Spain, France, the U.K.“
Fans still send Eden letters as “thank yous” and to share “how much they enjoy it.”
“But a lot of times, many times, it’s people who’ve been in trouble who’ve had a sad upbringing. And many told me that … the bottle to them was a refuge, Jeannie’s bottle,” Eden gushed.
Many see the show as an escape. As for Eden, the sitcom was “just happiness for me.”
“I loved it. I loved it,” she concluded. “Of course, once I left Jeannie, I did a lot of other things, but it was very fulfilling for me.”
Eden’s Youthful Glow
Earlier this month, Eden took to Instagram to share a selfie of herself with her husband Jon Eicholtz, who she’s been married to since 1991. The image showed the couple wearing bunny ears as they celebrated Easter together.
“Happy Easter from us bunnies! We hope it’s been beautiful and full of joy! -B & J,” Eden captioned the photo. She added the hashtags #happyeaster #easter #easterbunny and #barbaraeden.
Fans could not believe just how youthful the 94 year-old Eden looked.
“She looks amazing!!! What is her secret,” one social media user commented. Another simply added that Eden is “looking ageless.”
“You look amazing! Keep up the good work!” a third user commented. Yet another person commented, “You must be a genie for real!”
Eden is a true living legend, and there will never be another one like her. I Dream of Jeannie will also always be remembered as one of the best sitcoms of all time.
God bless you, Barbara Eden!