- I Dream of Jeannie aired from 1965 to 1970
- It starred Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman
- This is why I Dream of Jeannie got cancelled
Over 50 years have passed, but TV fans still want answers: Why was I Dream of Jeannie cancelled all those years ago? The popular Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman sitcom ended suddenly after just five seasons in 1970. Here's why.
Cancelled: I Dream of Jeannie had big problems
NBC never officially explained why they cancelled I Dream of Jeannie, but there are several reasons to consider. The main one is ratings.
In its fifth season, I Dream of Jeannie fell out of TV's Top 30 shows, and NBC didn't renew it for another. And the stars actually blame a particular episode for the loss of viewers.
I Dream of Jeannie dropped a bombshell episode in the last season. Finally, "Jeannie" and "Tony" got married. The cast, however, was convinced the wedding was a bad idea, and they believe it killed the show.
The marriage of "Jeannie" and "Tony" spoiled the romantic tension that defined the series. Afterward, fans were less interested in watching.
I Dream of Jeannie cast blames the wedding episode
Years later, both Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman placed blame on the wedding. "It just ruined the show," Barbara Eden told Today in 2015. "Because Jeannie wasn't human," she added. "I think it broke credibility."
Larry Hagman felt the same way. "I knew that once they got us married it wasn't going to work. And the ratings had dropped steadily since then," he once told the American Archive of Television.
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Over 50 years later
Bad decisions ruin careers!
The episode, called "The Wedding," aired in December 1969. Fifteen more episodes followed that season, but the decision appears to have backfired for I Dream of Jeannie.
NBC cancelled I Dream of Jeannie in 1970. It would return for two TV movies — but without Dallas-era Larry Hagman — in 1985 and 1991.
Barbara Eden is among the few surviving I Dream of Jeannie stars today.
