Barbara Eden Says Focusing on the 'Bright Side of a Difficult Situation' Led to Her Second-Favorite Episode of “I Dream of Jeannie”

Angela AndaloroWed, May 27, 2026 at 7:30 PM UTC

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Tony and Jeannie get married in the 5th season of "I Dream of Jeannie"
Credit: NBCU Photo Bank/Getty -

Barbara Eden has shared on several occasions that the pilot episode of I Dream of Jeannie is her favorite

The actress, 94, recently spoke about her second-favorite episode of the beloved series in an Instagram post

I Dream of Jeannie aired for five seasons from 1965 to 1970

Barbara Eden is all about looking on the bright side.

In a May 18 Instagram post, the 94-year-old actress opened up about her second-favorite episode of I Dream of Jeannie. While acknowledging the pilot as her favorite, Eden continued, "However, I also really enjoyed the wedding episode."

"It is true, the wedding was ultimately what caused the series to end... after all, a genie, a wisp of smoke, cannot marry a mortal man. The network (NBC) felt otherwise. So, Jeannie and Tony were married!" she wrote."I always focus on the bright side of a difficult situation! That wonderful wedding costume, designed by Joie Hutchinson was a highlight! I also had such fun playing the robot/mannequin version of Jeannie whom Dr. Bellows escorted down the aisle. They returned to the concept that Jeannie could not be photographed," Eden continued.

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Barbara Eden as Jeannie
Credit: Silver Screen Collection/Getty

The episode featuring Jeannie and Tony's wedding aired on December 3, 1969, and was thought by some to be the death knell for the show, as it ended the sexual tension between the characters. Eden previously spoke about the episode in a 2024 interview with Forbes, admitting, “I was very upset about it — not that anybody would listen to me.”

Eden added that she didn't demand producers change the script, telling the outlet: "I did not so much. No, I didn't. I guess if I had asserted myself, yes, I would have, but I didn't. I talked about it; I said, 'This is ridiculous. She can't marry you. It's ridiculous,' but it was okay. It was still funny. People could relate, one way or another."

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Speaking with PEOPLE in April about the upcoming documentary Sock It to Me: The Legend of George Schlatter, the actress talked about why the pilot episode was her favorite.

The pilot, which premiered on NBC on Sept. 18, 1965, introduced families to Captain Anthony Nelson after his NASA rocket Stardust One misfired and fell to Earth near a desert island in the South Pacific. Captain Nelson, played by the late Larry Hagman, then stumbled across the bottle containing a 2,000-year-old genie, Jeannie, played by Eden.

“That definitely is the one I've always thought was the best," Eden shared.

The show aired for five seasons from 1965 to 1970. Even over 55 years later, Eden noted that Jeannie is “always there.”

“She's always been on the air. Never been off," Eden said.

"I have lots of mail from Russia, from China, from places you'd never imagine, all over Europe, Spain, France, the U.K.,” Eden shared of the continued reach of the show.

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”