61 Years After ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ Premiered, Barbara Eden Celebrates the Sitcom That Made Her a Star

I Dream of Jeannie premiered on September 18, 1965, and 61 years later, its breakout star, Barbara Eden, is celebrating the anniversary in a special way. The 95-year-old shared her memories of filming the first episode of the now-iconic sitcom in a sentimental, nostalgic throwback Instagram post.

Even though the classic series made its small-screen debut in the fall of ’65, filming actually started in the winter of ’64. Eden revealed a few behind-the-scenes tidbits in her post, writing, “61 years into the future was the furthest thought from my mind on that frigid day in December of 1964. That was when we filmed the pilot on the beach at Point Dunne!”

Eden continued, “When you’re filming on location, you don’t think about anything other than work. After all, daylight is changing, shadows are moving, wind is blowing. We were there to get the shots and get the job done on schedule.”

California winters aren’t exactly on par with Colorado or New England. But that doesn’t mean the chilly December air was easy for Eden to work in. “Between hitting our marks and getting the shots, the biggest memory that stands out that day is that it was so horribly cold! There I was in a harem costume on the beach in December, shivering! It was so cold my lips were blue!”

Despite the wind, the cold, and the flimsy outfit, Eden still admits, “I’ve said it many times and I mean it every time, I Dream of Jeannie was often more fun than work.”

The actress opened up, speaking candidly about her time spent filming the show, “I think of those magical five years of my life, where every day was an adventure. Between Larry and Billy and Hayden, and the whole crew, we never knew what would happen! Even with a script in hand, you could never predict everything. From our hilarious guest stars, to being locked in a safe and playing the wonderfully mischievous naughty twin sister.”

The legendary NBC show aired from September of 1965 through May of 1970. Along the way, it picked up an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy (Sidney Sheldon, 1967) and two Golden Globe nominations for Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy (Eden, 1967 and 1970).

While I Dream of Jeannie may have left television decades ago, it certainly hasn’t gone away. Thanks to syndication and streaming services, the beloved series still delights fans worldwide! Stream all five seasons for free on The Roku Channel and Tubi or purchase individual episodes on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.